The Brighter Side of Chaos
by PetitDejeuner
Summary: It was going to be the greatest article she'd ever written. It was going to be the story of a lifetime. But Haruno Sakura soon finds herself fighting for both freedom and her own right to live... and the Hyuuga Main House is aiming to kill. [NejiSaku][AU]
1. Scarlet Tidings

The Brighter Side of Chaos

---

I: Scarlet Tidings

_Think not for this, however, the poor treason  
Of my stout blood against my staggering brain,  
I shall remember you with love, or season  
My scorn with pity - let me make it plain:  
I find this frenzy insufficient reason  
For conversation when we meet again._

_--Edna St. Vincent Millay_

Only eight forty-five in the morning, and already Haruno Sakura's day was completely unbearable.

_It must be a record_, the green-eyed twenty-two-year old thought savagely as she tapped her fingers on the coffee shop counter, and then soon after that came the impatient question, _why can't these damned baristas hurry up?_

The day had not started well for her. First of all, it was a Tuesday, and by the evidence the past gave her Tuesdays generally sucked (it was on a Tuesday she had declared Ino her rival; it was on a Tuesday Sasuke had left their apartment to go work in another country; it was on a Tuesday she had lost her favorite jacket). Second, she had woken up an hour and fifteen minutes later than she usually did on this Tuesday in October, resulting in a series of Bad Things, the least of which being her hot water being turned off for 'conservation purposes'. Damned landlord. It had felt like standing naked in an ice storm. _If I get pneumonia I'm suing_, she said fiercely to herself after a particularly violent sneeze that left her fellow coffee-waiters backing away slightly.

Finally, after a seven-minute wait, the teenager behind the counter-- he looked like he was on drugs-- handed her the usual ten drinks in two cardboard trays, and she hurried back to her car. Of _course_ it would be her day of the week to pick up coffees for her coworkers, because that was just _typical_ on a day like today.

With no roommate to vent on (Naruto and Sai had taken the other car and driven off without waking her, damn them both), Sakura had to take out her anger by jamming the key rather viciously into the ignition.

It was vastly unsatisfying.

Thankfully, she arrived at work without dying in a car crash or all of the hot drinks spilling onto her lap-- although she did rip her favorite dark red skirt by slamming the car door too fast. After a hasty check-in, Sakura had to half run, half scuffle to the employee elevators, held up by her ten-pound briefcase, the two trays of coffee in her hands, and her pair of impractical wedge heels.

---

Konoha Magazine, Inc. was founded around a hundred or so years ago by two brothers, who prided themselves on creating a magazine filled with 'everything under the sun'-- now the motto of the company. And, indeed, even today Konoha Magazine carried practically everything important that had happened that past month: sports, politics, news, celebrity gossip, music and movie reviews, superb columns on varying topics, and even health and fitness advice, all accompanied by superior photographs taken by the very best photographers the company could find.

The building alone was intimidating; fifteen floors in height, the entranceway contained a waiting room lobby and a large silver desk at which visitors could sign in. The spiral staircase that ran down the entirety of the building was draped in red carpet, and every floor was made up of marble and sleek brown wood. The lower offices were on the lower levels, evenly-spaced cubicles of a reasonable size… however, for the higher-ranking reporters and managers, there were the upper floors, highly stylized and with a separate room for each to use as an office. On the top floor was the editor-in-chief's office, a vast expanse of marble, gold railing, and red carpet, complete with a kitchen, a waiting room, and a personal recreation room containing a TV, radio, couches and chairs, and a pool table… not to mention the giant office itself.

It was for this editor-in-chief and this magazine Sakura worked. She had her own column, writing human interest pieces that ranged from music to philosophy to theology and back; in short, she wrote on whatever caught her fancy, and she wrote it well. Often she would be called into Tsunade (or Tsunade-hime, as many people called her) to be congratulated on the success of a past article. However, having the status of Tsunade's surrogate daughter and pupil did nothing on granting leniency from the queenlike editor-in-chief; on the contrary, Tsunade was usually more strict to Sakura than she was to any of her other employees… even Naruto, who was simultaneously her second-in-command, Sakura's roommate and brother figure, and the biggest knucklehead in the company.

---

Yamanaka Ino, editor of the popular culture section, was flipping through glossy 8-by-10s in Sakura's office when said pink-haired girl kicked open the door and demanded, "What the _hell_ are you doing in here, Pig?"

Ino looked up, dark blue eyes slowly taking in Sakura's disheveled appearance. "Good morning to you, too, Billboard Brow. What happened to you? Did you get in a fight or something?"

Sakura growled in a rather animalistic way at her friend. "No," she said shortly. "It hasn't been a particularly great morning, that's all." She thrust a tall cardboard cup at the tall blonde. "Here, take it."

"Oh, thanks, I forgot it was your day to get coffee," Ino replied, taking the cup gratefully. "Was that why you were late?"

Sakura hesitated while unpacking her briefcase. "Partly. Oh, damn!"

"What?"

The petite girl groaned, sagging wearily in her chair. "I left my article at home, the one for next month's issue. Tsunade-san's going to absolutely murder me!"

"How will she know?"

Sakura motioned to her computer. "She just sent me an e-mail asking me to come up to her office as soon as possible. I'm sure she knows I'm late, and she'll ask me about my story. She's one of those '_involved_ editor-in-chiefs'."

"Well, you're screwed," Ino said cheerfully.

Sakura shot her a venomous look. "You're a little too perky today, aren't you?"

"I'm going out with Chouji tonight. He's taking me to a restaurant he's reviewing… a five-star. I'll get a chance to wear that cocktail dress I just bought." Ino swooned-- whether at the thought of Chouji, five-star food, or a new cocktail dress, Sakura had no earthly idea.

The pink-haired girl rolled her eyes instead of commenting, something which would have resulted in another round of teasing from both sides. "Whatever. Hey, d'you want to help me deliver the rest of these?" she asked hopefully, motioning towards the remaining coffees. "I need to see Shikamaru about the photos you were just holding-- he wants to have them ready for when he does the layout-- and then face my doom up top."

Ino grimaced. "Lazy-ass and Tsunade-hime all in one trip? I don't think so. I have work to do, anyway."

"Some friend you are," Sakura snorted, picking up the folder of pictures and the tray of coffees. "I'll see you later, okay? Wish me luck."

Ino watched her friend go, a small smile gracing her full lips as the pink-haired girl walked down the hallway. Sakura was a state, with a messy bun completely failing to keep her hair out of her face, a ripped red skirt, and a cream-colored filmy top that had a smudge on it, but was otherwise rather pretty.

She did not, exactly, look the part of a successful columnist at one of the most famous magazines in the world.

"Good luck, Billboard Brow."

---

Sakura stopped by Marketing only to deliver TenTen's iced coffee, and did the same in Advertisement to give Hyuuga Hinata her hot tea. Hinata, though coming from a clanlike family of the pompous and ruthless, was perfectly sweet. She had joined Konoha Magazine, Inc. a year and a half ago and had immediately risen to the post of Advertising Manager… not so much thanks to her influential background (although hiring Hinata had created a useful alliance of sorts with the Hyuuga Bank) but because of her creativity and skill in the field. With her compassionate disposition and fierce loyalty, she had soon become friends with Ino, Sakura, and TenTen. It was always a pleasure to talk to her.

Hurriedly, Sakura rushed towards Shikamaru's office. The Haruno girl kicked open the door to the largish room only to find her friend rather predictably snoring at his desk.

Nara Shikamaru, though truthfully dubbed as the lazy-ass of Konoha Magazine, Inc., was nevertheless in charge of the layout of every issue of the magazine. He was a tactical genius, and was often called to help with some problem in Public Relations or Managing, but one could never have guessed his superior intelligence by his open belief that everything was 'troublesome'.

"Shika, wake _up_!" Sakura said loudly, shaking him by the shoulder. The ponytailed man looked up at her groggily, one hand going to his stud earring to twirl it, a force of habit.

"Wh'ssup, Sakura?" he groaned, rubbing at his eyes.

"I come bearing coffee, and pictures for Friday's layout." Sakura put the folder and the cup on his desk. "Do you really have enough free time to get in a good nap? Maybe we should switch jobs."

Shikamaru chuckled. "I don't think I have nearly enough energy to take on a weekly column," he said dryly, "and I really don't have that much free time… not as much as it seems, anyway. Temari kept me up late last night is all."

Sakura blushed furiously at the innuendo, and cursed at herself for doing so when Shikamaru looked quite unaffected. "If you're quite finished telling me about your sex life-- which, by the way, I don't at all want to hear-- can you tell me which pictures you're going to choose so I can tell Lee?"

Shikamaru opened the manila folder and flipped through the photos as Ino had done. "Lee did a good job on these," he admitted grudgingly. "If he wasn't such a good photographer I might feel justified in telling him to shut up about the 'youth of spring flowers' or whatever the hell he rambles about." As Sakura giggled, the tanned twenty-two-year-old selected five photos and gave the rest back to her. "I'll take these five. There's not much room with the novel you wrote."

Sakura frowned at him. "The upcoming election is a serious subject," she defended stubbornly. "I wanted to give it my all."

"Anything to get the editorials, eh?" he said shrewdly. "Your last piece on abortion got so many protests and support letters Inuzuka didn't even bother to read them all."

"Yeah, well, Kiba can hardly read, anyway," she snapped jokingly. "What time is it?"

He (lazily, of course) checked his watch. "Ten oh seven," he answered. "Why?"

"I need to go meet Tsunade-san," Sakura said with a small moan of trepidation. "She said she wanted to see me about something important, and I'm willing to bet my job that it's on me being late. _And_ I forgot my draft for next month's article."

Shikamaru winced sympathetically. "Let's hope it won't be likely you'll have to bet on your job, eh? But if you're going up there, can you take these to her?" He dug in his desk for a moment before selecting a stack of thin binders, full to the brim with papers, and shoved them into her arms before she could protest. "She wanted them by eleven, and since you're going up…"

Sakura gave him a nasty look. "This building is just overflowing with friendliness today, isn't it?" she murmured to sarcastically, half to herself. "I'll see you later, Shikamaru."

"Aa. Bye."

After her friend's goodbye, Sakura hurried from the room and to the elevators, tucking the binders under her arm on the way. If she was any later to this meeting, she might as well sign her resignation and turn it in when she stepped in the door, and she actually happened to like this columnist job quite a lot.

There was a man in front of the elevators when she arrived, breathless and clutching the binders. He wasn't familiar-looking, which was a small surprise… Sakura always tried to make it her business to know the faces and names of everyone she came in contact with in the enormous building. It was quite possible he was a lower reporter or on the Public Relations staff, but somehow he didn't seem to be the type to settle for any kind of lower-ranking job.

Maybe it was the way he looked at her, with his chin straight and his familiarly light eyes almost chiseled-looking, as if they had been carved from quartz. Maybe it was the air of disdain and cool pride around him as he looked at her from his great height… this guy was probably over six foot, where Sakura barely scraped 5'3".

Suddenly all too aware of what must be a severely disheveled appearance, Sakura gave the stranger a bright smile, hoping to break the awkwardness. "Morning."

He inclined his head to her. "Good morning." His voice was a low baritone, very smooth, and yet with a hint of undisputed arrogance under it. It was nearly as chocolaty as his long, lustrous dark brown hair, which was tied neatly midway down his back in a low ponytail. He was dressed professionally, she noted as the elevator doors opened and they both stepped in, wearing a black dress shirt rolled to the elbows and black pants.

Mindful that she was staring, Sakura pressed the highest button, 15, and noticed that he didn't move to hit another button. "Are you heading to the top, too?" she asked conversationally, checking her reflection in the polished gold metal of the elevator. Her neat bun had become undone, and strands hung around her face.

"Hai."

Sakura nodded to hide her irritation at the curt reply as the elevator climbed steadily higher. "So you're seeing Tsunade-san. Do you work here? I haven't seen you before."

"No, I do not."

The green-eyed girl shot the stranger a discreet look of annoyance. Just because her hair was mussed and she was a little less than a foot shorter than him didn't give him the right to completely snub her like this! _What a jerk. I'll just stop talking altogether, see if I care_.

The elevator doors opened smoothly when they reached the fifteenth floor, and Sakura and the stranger stepped out of the machine, both of them heading to the giant oak double doors. A gold plate next to it shone, catching the light from the large windows: Hokage Tsunade, Editor-in-Chief.

Out of habit, Sakura checked the door across from Tsunade's: Naruto's office was empty; the lights were on, but nobody was inside, and on the computer was a screen saver of jumping frogs. As the arrogant man from the elevators knocked rapidly on Tsunade's door, Sakura poked her head into Shizune's office, Tsunade's personal secretary. "Shizu-san!"

A tall woman with short black hair turned from her computer. "Sakura-san! How are you?"

"Fine. Well, no, not really, I have an appointment with Tsunade-san, and I don't think it's for something I did right." She made a face. "D'you know where Naruto is?"

Shizune gave a shrug. "He left a couple of minutes ago… I think he went to the cafeteria, he mentioned ramen."

Sakura sighed. "What a pig. When he comes back up, can you tell him I'd like to see him?"

"Sure," Shizune said, giving her an easy smile. "You'd better get to your meeting, though. Tsunade-san--"

"…doesn't like to be kept waiting, I know." Sakura grinned at her. "See you."

"Bye, Sakura."

The columnist exited Shizune's office and headed toward Tsunade's, rapping on the oaken doors to request entry.

"Come in," Tsunade's voice called from behind the door, and Sakura pushed it open. The blonde editor-in-chief was sitting behind her desk, arms crossed beneath her ample bosom, and she was looking at the same man from the elevators, who was sitting in one of three seats in front of her desk. Sakura had forgotten that he had a meeting with her boss.

"I'm sorry," she said apologetically, "should I come back later?"

"No, it's good that you two are in here together," Tsunade told her with a brusque shake of the head. "Have a seat, Sakura."

Sakura put the thin binders on Tsunade's desk before sitting next to the dark-haired man. "From Shikamaru," she told Tsunade.

Her boss gave a nod. "Right. Well, first thing's first, I suppose… Haruno Sakura, meet Hyuuga Neji. Neji-san is Hyuuga Hinata's cousin."

So that was why his features had seemed so familiar… he had the Hyuuga eyes. How had she not noticed that? "Nice to meet you," she said a little stiffly, remembering his treatment of her in the elevator.

Hyuuga Neji frowned and did not repay the comment, turning instead to Tsunade. "Hokage-sama, I'm afraid I don't understand. This is the reporter who will be conducting the report?"

"What report?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Hai, she is," Tsunade answered, studiously ignoring her young apprentice. "I think you'll find she's quite capable, despite the grunge style she seems to be sporting today." She cast a pointed look over Sakura's dilapidated state, and the pink-haired woman flushed.

"I've had a rough morning," she protested hotly, but Tsunade ignored her still.

Neji cast an appraising look over her. "I read her work. It was… incredible," he conceded, and Sakura beamed with pride despite the fact that he had seemed to force the word out with extreme difficulty-- "but I was expecting someone a little less… memorable. She will stand out."

Sakura huffed at his, but Tsunade defended her almost at once. "You yourself came in here last week to tell me of your request, Neji-san, and you also called to tell me exactly what you wanted: an excellent reporter, someone capable of a job such as this. I gave you what you wanted. Do not underestimate her."

Hyuuga Neji had the grace to look a little ashamed, but Sakura had gone too long listening to people talking about her as if she wasn't there. "Tsunade-san, what is this all about?" she demanded.

At last, the blonde woman turned to her, pursing her rouged lips before answering. "The story of a lifetime."

Sakura smiled at this, excitement rising in her chest. 'The story of a lifetime'? Just how good was this assignment, anyway?

Tsunade elaborated. "You know of the Hyuuga family, Sakura." At her nod, she continued. "Then you also know that as prestigious as they are, there have been rumors circulating about their behavior to what they call the 'Branch House'-- a section of their family that is dedicated solely to protecting and supporting the Main House members, at, I believe, any cost?" She ended the phrase as a question, looking to Neji for confirmation. He nodded a bit reluctantly, and she continued. "Because of this arrangement, Branch House members cannot rise higher than their Main House counterparts… if their skills or ambition surpass the Main House members, well… it sucks for them," she said bluntly, lacing her fingers on the desk. "They are still obligated to service the Main House."

Sakura frowned. "Well… no offence meant, Hyuuga-san, but why don't Branch members simply break from that restriction? Run away, or just refuse to bend under those rules?"

Neji looked towards Tsunade rather than answer Sakura directly (Sakura fumed), and Tsunade replied instead. "That's where you come in," she told her apprentice. "The Hyuuga Main House seems to have some sort of strange… _power_ over the Branch members," she told Sakura hesitantly, a rather skeptical expression on her face, and Sakura knew that Tsunade's disbelief in anything mystical was preventing her from saying it like it was the absolute truth. "I don't really know much about it, and neither, in fact, does Neji-san over here." She hesitated and turned to the man in question. "Could you elaborate?"

Sighing softly, the handsome Hyuuga member straightened and spoke to Tsunade rather than facing Sakura. _What is with this guy?_ the journalist felt a voice inside her mind ask angrily, but pushed it aside to listen to his words. "Although I am a Branch House member, I have not been exposed to this ability, for I have been obedient to them…" A flash of something indistinguishable crossed his pale eyes, but was gone as soon as it had come. "Keep in mind we are a large family. I do not even know a fair amount of my cousin's names. But there have been many cases of a rebellious Branch member being outspoken, and then taken into the head of the Main House, Hiashi-sama, and not coming back out. The standard explanation is that they have been banished from the family, and forbidden to get within fifty feet of the estate."

At Sakura's open mouth and questioning look, Tsunade hastily spoke up. "I know what you're wondering, Sakura, but nobody has ever paid any attention to these so-called 'banishments'. It is suspicious, but highly classified information. I only know as much as Neji-san has told me, and the small bits Hinata has relayed. Also, even if there was some sort of call for investigation, money talks." Tsunade ducked her head to Neji as if in apology for the insinuation. "And the Hyuuga family-- or the Main House, anyway-- has plenty of money. I'd imagine any rough patches are smoothed pretty quickly on matters like that."

Sakura frowned. "Is Hinata a Branch or Main House member?"

"Hinata-sama is of the Main House," Neji answered, and Sakura grimaced at the overly-formal suffix. "She is Hiashi-sama's oldest child." It was the longest sentence he had directly spoken to her for the twenty minutes she'd known him.

"So he's your uncle, then?"

"Hai."

_And the eloquence stops there_. Sakura pushed the dry thought from her lips and instead asked what she had been leading up to. "If Hinata is of the Main House, why doesn't she know this mysterious secret? Wouldn't she be heir to Hyuuga Bank if she's the oldest?"

"This is all speculation on my part," Tsunade said slowly, tapping her red-painted fingernails on the desk thoughtfully, "but I believe that the Hyuuga Main House leaders wouldn't entrust their secrets to someone like Hinata, especially if there's something illegal about their treatment of Branch members… I mean, we already know it's unfair, but if there's something legally threatening, it's a secret I think they'd like to take to their graves. Hinata would not likely do that."

Sakura understood the reasoning, much though it sickened her. Shy and gentle Hinata, although most likely bullied by the Hyuuga leaders, would probably not hesitate to put a stop to anything harmful in the family procedures if or when she ever escaped their grasp. "Tsunade-sama, you said earlier that the mysterious 'power' was where I came in. I still don't understand. What does this have to do with me?"

Tsunade hesitated, turning a pencil over in her fingers, and Sakura realized with a start that her mentor was nervous… worried, even, if such a thing could be said for the fortress of Hokage Tsunade. "You will be doing an undercover, in-depth report on this method of submission… and indeed, the whole Hyuuga family." She took a breath. "If you succeed in getting the secrets of the family, the effect will be… momentous. It would most definitely call enough attention to the problem so that it could be stopped by the authorities. We'd put it on the front page, we'd make it our biggest headline…" Tsunade trailed off.

Sakura felt the familiar thrill of anticipation rising in her chest, lifting her heart into her throat. Tsunade hadn't been kidding when she'd called it the story of a lifetime. If she succeeded, this piece could lead to untold honors. It could lead to the joining of the two Hyuuga houses. It could change the world!

_If there's anything going on in the first place_, that snarky Inner Voice reminded her dryly, and Sakura scowled slightly before catching a glimpse of Tsunade pursing her lips. "Tsunade-san, if it's such a great opportunity why do you look so worried?"

Tsunade opened her mouth to answer, closed it, and then opened it again. "This will be very dangerous, Sakura, and I want you to fully realize it before you go on this assignment. The Hyuuga Main House has money, and lots of it… they have ambition and secrecy shrouding them like a blanket, and the two are a dangerous combination. Along with that, they have the Branch members, who have been trained from birth to protect the Hyuuga secrets and Main House members until the day they die. They will not give up any skeletons in the closet easily."

Sakura nodded, not really hearing her. Danger from a banking family? What were they going to do, throw money at her? "I understand," she said, without really doing so, and then turned to Neji as a thought came to her. He had been silent for the better part of five minutes. "Hyuuga-san, if you have been trained from birth to protect the Hyuuga secrets, and if you've been as obedient as you've said… well… no offence meant, but… why did you suggest this article be written?"

Neji frowned at her. "That is not, I believe, any of your business. All you need to know on that front is that I am in earnest. I want this article to be written. I believe in the need for it."

Rather taken aback at this, Sakura hastily looked back at Tsunade, fighting determinedly to keep a blush of shame and anger from her cheeks. "So, why me? Why not Hinata? Wouldn't the Hyuuga clan trust her more, being the heir and all? How am I supposed to just merge into their family?"

"Yes, that is an issue," Tsunade acquiesced, and Sakura was relieved to see that she was in control of whatever worry she had expressed before. "I believe you will have to disguise yourself… not in appearance, of course, but in nature. I think," she continued after a moment, "that the best course of action would be to act… with your permission, of course, Neji-san… as this man's girlfriend. And," she added, "I think it'd be best that Hinata have a very vague idea of what you're doing, so she doesn't unwittingly sabotage the report."

The two young adults immediately stiffened. Sakura couldn't keep back the flush that was surely at her neck now, and she blurt out a "what!" as she seeped into mental panic-mode.

"Surely that's not the only way," Neji said, a little more calmly, although his fists were clenching.

"If you have any other ideas, I'd be happy to hear them," Tsunade said serenely.

Of course, they had none. Sakura sat back in her seat and put a hand to her head in weariness. How was she to pretend to be in love with a man who had absolutely no passion?

"I do not think it will work," Neji said honestly, with a sideways glance towards Sakura's slumped form, and the pink-haired girl sprung up at once.

"What was that little look supposed to mean?" she asked hotly. "_I_ can pretend! It's just you, you're the coldest person I've ever met!"

Neji turned on her with a look of supreme disdain and equally large irritation. "How could I fake feelings for someone so… _garish_?"

Sakura turned on him. "Garish? What's that supposed to mean? In case you didn't know, I didn't _choose_ to have pink hair! Blame genetics!"

The Hyuuga Branch member scowled at her. "I wasn't referring to your hair color, although that's certainly showy, too… you are garish in personality. You are loud, you are opinionated, you have no idea of proper etiquette, and though those things may not trouble you, you will not last for more than five _seconds_ in the Hyuuga household if you insist on being so brash." His tone had not risen, and yet Sakura felt as if she had been slapped; she immediately opened her mouth for a harsh retort, but was cut off by Tsunade's fist hitting the desk so hard the wood let out an ominous cracking sound. The quarrelling adults quieted at once.

"Be silent!" Tsunade demanded of them angrily, face contorted in impatience. "If you two will insist on acting like teenagers, I will call off the article… I am not joking!" She glared at them silently for a moment, nostrils flaring, as Neji and Sakura settled into a moody quiet. Only when she was reasonably calm and the two in front of her had been silent for a whole minute did the busty editor-in-chief continue. "This is a dangerous assignment for both of you, and I don't think you realize just how much. Neji-san, you stand risk to be subject to the mysterious punishment we aim to expose. Sakura, as an outsider to the Hyuuga clan, you are in equal danger. I don't know what they would do to silence you if you fail to keep your cover, but I'm positive it won't be pleasant." She took a breath. "You will find a way to make your cover work because you simply _must_. There is no question to it. And if I get the slightest idea that you two won't work together enough to get this finished in safety, I will personally abort the research. Is that understood?" When the two parties nodded sullenly, Tsunade fell back into her chair, massaging her temples. "I feel like I'm babysitting you two," she said sharply.

After a moment, Neji stood. "Hokage Tsunade-sama," he said formally, "are we dismissed?"

"Aa," she said tiredly, "you are. I want you both back here tomorrow, though, at noon. Neji-san, think of ways to get Sakura accepted by the Main and Branch Houses. Sakura, I want you to study as you've never studied before. Try and get as much background information on the Hyuuga clan as you can… try the public library, they most likely have old documents that could help you. We will have a lunch meeting at the café down the street and discuss your plans. Are we in agreement?"

"Hai."

"Aa, Tsunade-san."

Rather stiffly, Neji turned to Sakura and gave a jerk of the head that was probably meant to be a small bow. "It will be a pleasure to work with you, Haruno," he said, holding out his hand.

Keenly feeling the lack of honorific, Sakura gripped his hand tightly. "And with you, _Hyuuga_."

There was a long moment in which Neji and Sakura squeezed each other's hands as tightly as they could, glaring a fiercely challenging glare into one another's eyes, and Tsunade let out a groan of "oh, good gods" and called loudly for Shizune to bring her sake.

---

"Sakura-chan, you look tired," Naruto said quietly, sitting next to her on the couch and handing her a glass of red wine.

Sakura started; she hadn't noticed him behind her. "It was a long day," she muttered, turning off the TV and taking the wine with a grateful nod.

Naruto looked a little panicked at this. "If this has anything to do with Sai and me leaving without you this morning, I swear it was all him!"

"Liar," Sai's voice called defensively from the kitchen, where he was washing the dinner dishes.

Sakura let out a little laugh at this and sipped her wine. "Nah, that was nothing." Debating whether or not to tell them for a moment, Sakura bit her lip. Well, what harm could it do? Sai and Naruto were her roommates, her brothers. And they deserved to know. "Don't go telling anybody this, but Tsunade-san called me into her office today."

"Uh oh," Naruto said sympathetically. "Tsunade-baa-san angry with you?"

"No, that came later," Sakura said dryly. "She called me in to talk about an article she wants me to do." Briefly, she gave the two boys a sketchy outline of the conversation between Tsunade, Hyuuga Neji, and herself.

Naruto's eyes were wide when she finished. "Wow. D'you know how famous you could get if you busted a family like the Hyuuga?"

Sai snorted from the kitchen. "Why was that a bad part of your day, Ugly? Sounds to me like a good opportunity."

Growling a little at the familiar nickname, Sakura let her head fall back on the couch, where it landed on Naruto's arm. "The Hyuuga guy that suggested the article is a total jackass."

"What's his name?" Naruto asked casually, reaching over for the bottle of wine and pouring her another glass.

"Hyuuga Neji. His Hinata's cousin, but he's nothing like her. You should have heard what he--"

Her blonde friend put down the bottle and stood up, and Sakura's head fell hard on the back of the couch. "Hyuuga _Neji_, you said?" he asked excitedly.

"Ow. Yeah, why?" Sakura rubbed the back of her head.

Naruto was bouncing on the balls of his feet, obviously pleased. His tanned face split into a smile so that the whiskerlike marks on his cheeks curved upwards. "I fought him once, a couple tournaments ago." Naruto grinned. "Damned set on fate, he was. After the match he said he was glad he fought me, said I taught him a lesson that he could change his own destiny. Kicked the tar out of him," he added hastily at Sakura's raised eyebrow, "but he was one of the toughest opponents I've ever faced."

Sakura frowned. Now that she thought on it, Hyuuga Neji had been built under that dress shirt… his rolled-up sleeves had revealed quite a bit of muscle that she hadn't thought to dwell on when he was calling her garish. "That makes sense. You must have gotten into him hard to make him rebel against his family like that."

"Maybe," Naruto agreed with a little frown, "but it's been years since I fought him. It'd be odd for him to do it now."

"Maybe he's been working up… what's the word?" Sai asked expressionlessly. "Courage?"

Well acquainted with her dark-haired roommate's trouble with emotions, Sakura nodded. "Yes, that's what it's called."

Naruto shrugged. "He could've been. But he's not the type to do that. He always has courage, he just plucks it out of nowhere. Freaky, almost. But more likely he went to Baa-san because of something that just happened to him, something that pushed him over the edge. Wonder what it was."

Sakura's features formed a scowl. "Whatever it is, he's still a complete jerk. I can't imagine pretending to be his girlfriend."

Naruto let out a hoot of laughter at that. "You've got your work cut out for you on that, Sakura-chan. He actually has emotions, unlike Artsy-Fartsy over there, but it takes a lot for him to show them to you."

"'Artsy-Fartsy'?" Sai repeated dispassionately.

"Hey, you give all of us nicknames, why can't you have one?" Naruto argued, storming into the kitchen.

"I only call you Dickless because you _are_ dickless, Dickless."

"Shut up, Sai!"

Sakura knew that unless she interfered several dishes would be broken, and the landlord would no doubt pound on their door for the fifth time that month to tell them to shut up, but she didn't really feel like settling another fight between Naruto and Sai.

The thoughts of endless researching in a stuffy library, sneaking safely into the most prestigious family in the country, and an afternoon meeting with the despicable Hyuuga Neji weighing heavy on her mind, Sakura looked towards her refilled wine glass.

_Screw it_, she thought, and over the sounds of her two brother figures wrestling on the floor, she tipped the contents of the whole glass into her mouth.

---

Author's Note: I believe I'm ready to start another chapter fic. Life has calmed down somewhat, and this is something I'll definitely finish. In case you didn't realize, this story is very much AU, something I don't think I've done before for Naruto. It's kind of an experiment, but I think it'll go well.

As I've said before, I really appreciate your feedback and constructive criticism… and it's certainly not too hard to press that nifty blue button down there and jot down a couple words on what you think of the story so far. Thanks so much, and I hope you enjoyed the first chapter!


	2. In the Interim

**The Brighter Side of Chaos**

---

II: In the Interim

_And yet it seems to me, if I should speak,  
Your silent step must wake across the hall;  
If I should turn my head, that your sweet eyes  
Would kiss me from the door._ _--Edna St. Vincent Millay_

_---_

Hokage Tsunade cupped her hands around her regulation cup of sake, trying to warm her hands while a cold autumn wind blew around her formidable silhouette. _Maybe a lunch meeting at an outdoor café wasn't the right way to go_, she thought to herself wryly, and took another sip of her savior. But cold weather meant less people outside, and a smaller chance of Hyuuga Main House members seeing a Branch member with the editor-in-chief of an international magazine.

Not for the first time, Tsunade questioned her judgment. When Neji had arrived at her office late last Saturday night, proud and haughty as a Hyuuga usually was, she had been surprised; when he had told her of his plan to delve into Hyuuga secrets, she had choked on her sake.

"Are you all right?" he'd asked calmly.

Flushed red from coughing, Tsunade put a hand to her chest. "Quite," she rasped, eyes watering. "But I'm wondering if I should ask you the same question. Are you deficient in the head, Hyuuga? Do you have any idea what danger I would be putting one of my staff in?"

"Actually, I do," the tall man had said, inclining his head regally. "Understand, please, that I would be in the same danger if the Main House ever found out. This is as much a risk to me as it is to you and your employee."

Resisting the urge to resume coughing, Tsunade had taken another sip of sake. "Yes. But I wonder why you're here. You are a Hyuuga. Part of a proud and powerful family that does not give up any of its secrets. I wonder why you want to tell those secrets. I wonder at your motivation."

Neji had turned his head slightly to look out the window, out into the dark starry night, the tall skyscrapers of Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, touching the banner of sky like pointed fingers grasping for the heavens. "That," he had said, his voice so heavy she was surprised he could speak at all, "is my own secret. I apologize for not telling it to you. But I promise you that my intentions are good." He turned to her when he said this, turned to face her directly. "I want these secrets to be known by the public. I do not want to discredit Konoha Magazine. I want to let justice be served."

"And if there is nothing to be found?" Tsunade had asked critically, holding the cup of sake almost anxiously in her hand. It wavered from the table to her mouth, never settling, her arm never completely at rest.

"Then I will take whatever punishment comes with that," he had answered promptly, eyes withholding nothing.

The big-bosomed editor-in-chief had scrutinized him once more, giving his confident stance a sweeping look before settling her hazel eyes on his own pale silvery-lavender ones. _Hyuuga eyes_, she'd thought, and had shivered slightly. _They seem to be able to see right through you._

But his eyes had been devoid of untruth; his face was set as if chiseled from stone. She had grasped her sake cup a bit tighter and set it down hard on the desk, slopping some of the rice wine onto her blotter. Her mouth had been set in a tight, thin line as she held out her hand. "I'll have a reporter ready by Tuesday. Come see me then."

He had taken her hand with a strong grip and shaken it well, his eyes filled to the brim with pure conviction.

"Arigatou."

And then he'd left, silently as he'd came. For a while, she'd half-suspected the event of being a dream. Why else would a Hyuuga Branch member want to discredit his own family? The boy was mad. No other explanation. Mad for revenge, mad for power, mad for peace… mad for _something_, she was sure of it, but his reasons were his own. She had been left to ponder his mystery in relative peace.

"Hokage Tsunade-sama."

The blonde woman turned her head in mild surprise at the cultured voice behind her. She hadn't even heard Hyuuga Neji come towards her in the nearly-empty outdoor section of the café. The man walked as silently as a cat. "Neji-san. Sit down, please."

He ducked his head in a small bow and sat regally in the chair across from her. "Haruno is late?"

"Sakura-san is running a little late, yes," Tsunade answered, pointedly using a friendly suffix. "Would you like something to drink?"

"A jasmine tea, please," he said with a nod, and Tsunade relayed the order to a passing waiter. "Tsunade-sama, if you'll excuse me… I still have my doubts about Haruno Sakura."

Tsunade allowed herself an amused smile. "Because she is 'garish'?"

Neji did not look sheepish or embarrassed in the least, though the corner of his mouth quirked for half a second before going back to its usual flat line. "Perhaps I should not have voiced it that way. But her reaction to it proves my point… she is loud, and seems to enjoy speaking her mind and making sure everyone hears. Such things, which I understand are not exactly frowned upon in today's society, are not looked upon in a good light by the Hyuuga family. Being opinionated is the same as being completely rude; having an opinion is an irritation to those you tell it to. She will not do well as a… girlfriend… when I have to introduce her to Hiashi-sama. And I will definitely have to do that."

The busty woman frowned. "I realize that, and yet who else could we recruit? I have very few female reporters young and able enough-- able meaning 'single' in this case-- to go through with it. Sakura is highly-respected, and highly skilled. Her personality… well, many find it very enjoyable. She is liked by many in and out of the office."

"But she is so very… _truculent_," he said in an almost pained voice, and Tsunade chuckled.

"I am not truculent, you pompous ass, and I didn't think it would be proper Hyuuga _etiquette_ to talk about someone when they're not there."

Neji turned around with a mighty sigh, facing Sakura, who had her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. "I knew you were there, Haruno, which is precisely why I let you hear. If you'll sit down and stop attracting so much attention, might we begin this meeting?"

Tsunade hid a smile as her surrogate daughter gave an indignant huff and moved to sit at the table. "I don't see what good it'll do for you to be rude," she shot at him, adjusting the lapel of her navy-blue toggle coat.

"Indeed, it won't do any good at all," Tsunade slipped in quickly before he could retort (he was clearly going to, and she didn't exactly fancy being stuck in the middle of another verbal spar), "because usually a couple in love doesn't snipe at each other nearly as much as you two will do. Sakura, order your drink, please."

Sakura knotted her hair up in a big plastic clip and turned to the server, who was waiting expectantly. "Jasmine tea, please," she told him with a smile, and was rewarded with a rather roguish grin and a wink. Tsunade actually raised an eyebrow at Sakura's beverage choice. Funny, that's all, that she should choose the same drink as Hyuuga Neji when they were such completely different people.

Totally oblivious to the attention, Sakura turned back to her lunch mates and folded her hands on the table in a rather Tsunade-esque way. "So, I researched last night. I went to the public library after dinner and read everything I could find. Dusty town records and all."

"And what did you find?"

Sakura shrugged. "Nothing that'll be much help. Just that they're an old and noble Konohagakure family held in the 'highest regard'," she said, making air quotes around the phrase, "and a couple notes about the founding of the clan. Unless your uncle is planning some sort of pop quiz, nothing there will do me much good."

Tsunade looked a little disappointed. "Ah, well… there's probably nothing too important in there that Neji-san can't tell you himself. And Neji-san, how did you fare with your job?"

He looked rather mutinous as he answered. "There is almost no way to have her accepted without suspicion. They watch us like hawks; they must know who we are seeing, where we are going. Especially me, considering certain events that happened years ago. It takes much for me to get out and meet you like this, Hokage-sama… and also, every relationship we may have has to be…" He paused, searching for the term. "It must be signed off on, in a way, by the Main House. I myself have not been assigned a marriage… _partner_," he said with an air of distaste, "so in theory, the plan may work… but they will research her. They will look at her contacts, her job, her history, her whole background."

Tsunade cast a sidelong glance at Sakura, who was thanking the waiter for her drink as the two jasmine teas arrived. "So unless she has anything to hide, we'll be fine."

"In theory."

"In theory," she allowed, and turned to her pink-haired pupil. "Sakura, do you have anything to hide? If you do, I suggest you clear it up quickly."

The green-eyed girl looked slightly insulted as she sipped her tea. "What would I have to hide? Any secrets I have are all in my head, and I'm pretty sure not even the Hyuuga clan can purge my mind."

"Very good." Tsunade motioned to the waiter who had winked at Sakura, and he went into the restaurant; seconds later, he came out holding three bowls of soba noodles with sliced duck and scallions. He set one in front of each of them and bowed slightly and asked if there would be anything else. Tsunade gave a quick jerk of the head, and he bowed again and left, casting another glance at Sakura over his shoulder.

"Itadakimasu." The three ate silently for a moment before Tsunade spoke again. "I suppose I must have faith in your acting skills, then. How do you two plan on going about this? How will Sakura be introduced to the Hyuuga family?"

Neji sipped from his cup of tea. "I planned on presenting her to Hiashi-sama next week. Every year, there is a meeting between the leader of the Branch members and the head of the Main House. I am his oldest nephew, so I inherited my father's role of being the leader of the Branch House when he died." Sakura, who was watching him closely as he spoke, saw something cold and hard flitted across the surface of his face. It was gone within an instant, though; Sakura was half-convinced she'd imagined it. "It is followed by a gathering… a party of sorts. Anyone who is invited by any of the member of the family can come. I thought it would be a good time. And before that, I thought Hinata-sama could feed false information to Hiashi-sama that I have been calling on the Haruno girl often."

"An excellent idea!" Tsunade said triumphantly, though Sakura looked a bit irritated as being addressed as 'the Haruno girl'. The big-bosomed editor-in-chief polished off her noodles, motioned to the waiter, and tapped her napkin to her mouth before making to wrap up the conversation. "Until then, I think it would be best for you to be seen with her, Neji-san… just enough, you understand, for anyone of your family that happens to be passing by to notice. Just in case your uncle is not convinced by Hinata's information. During that time, you two can also work on Sakura's problems with proper etiquette, and--"

Fed up with being spoken about as if she wasn't there, Sakura injected hotly despite the noodles in her mouth. "I do not have problems with etiquette!"

Tsunade looked pointedly at her full mouth before sending her a disparaging glance and turning back to a smirking Neji. "Just do your best with her," she told him wearily, handing money to the waiter, "try to make her a little more demure before the party… and, both of you… please don't kill each other."

"That might be difficult," Sakura snarled as Neji's arrogant smirk grew.

The waiter took up Tsunade's money and slipped a piece of paper onto the table in front of Sakura. Neji snatched it before she could read it, inciting an angry "hey!" from the rosette-colored girl, and opened it. With a slightly evil grin, he crumpled the paper in his fist and gave it back to the rather put-out waiter. "I'm sorry, but my _girlfriend_ is otherwise occupied tonight."

Sakura gave an angry squawk, looking simply furious, but Tsunade gave a hearty laugh and snapped her purse shut. "I'll leave you two lovebirds to yourselves," she told them, and Neji smirked serenely as Sakura sent him a glare of pure venom.

Maybe working with this girl wouldn't be that bad, after all.

---

Right hook.

Left hook.

Five jabs, right hand.

Uppercut.

_Arrogant snob._

Three jabs, right hand.

Seven jabs, left hand.

Uppercut.

_He had no right to embarrass me like that!_

Left hook.

Left foot, kick.

Right foot, kick.

Four jabs, right hand.

Two jabs, left.

_And that waiter was cute, too! There goes my Friday night._

Roundhouse.

Two uppercuts.

_Working on my 'etiquette'! Like hell. Tsunade just wants to torture me._

Sakura's muscles were burning, but she did not stop; sweat poured from her skin, but she did not pause to wipe it away as she pummeled the bag.

_Dates with the Honorable Hyuuga Neji-sama. Joy of joys!_

Roundhouse.

Another roundhouse.

Five hooks.

Thirteen jabs.

_I think I'd rather gargle razor blades._

With a mighty roar of shame and frustration, Sakura let out a powerful right hook, making the punching bag swing to the left farther than it ever had before. Breathing heavily, she gave it one last kick and sat down on the training room floor, pulling her gloves' laces undone with her teeth. Sweat poured from her body as she massaged her sore knuckles; she hadn't had that much of a workout in a while.

Sai, Naruto, and herself had converted this once-office into a training room, complete with punching bags, barbells, and a mat-covered area meant for sparring. Various weapons lined the walls; Naruto and Sai, martial arts masters in their own right, had collected them from years of tournaments and training. And Sakura, who had taught herself boxing at the tender age of seven, had a habit of taking out any anger on the bag. So when the three roommates had gotten together, clearing away the desks and computers and pooling their money to set up a good training space had seemed only natural.

Wearily, the petite woman went into a set of stretches to ease muscles that would surely ache the next morning. After completely shooting that poor waiter down, Neji had set a date for their first etiquette lesson: tomorrow night (_so soon!_), at 8 PM. He'd told her to dress nicely, cocktail-dress style, and to be prepared to learn a lot about propriety and etiquette and ready to enjoy nothing.

_He just had to start with the fancy stuff_, Sakura thought to herself with a grimace as she bent over her left leg. A semi-tomboy from ages four to eleven and fourteen to present, Sakura had almost always detested dresses, and pretty, flirty little things like the one she was supposed to wear tomorrow night were no exception.

Haruno Sakura sighed and laid down completely on the wooden floor, stretching her back and looking up at the ceiling. Skipping out on work after the lunch meeting had been enormously helpful; as always after a tough workout, Sakura felt calm and collected, ready to face any challenge even though her muscles ached at their extended toil. She would get her ass handed to her for quitting after the first half of the day, but right now that didn't bother her in the slightest; all she wanted to do was take a shower, gulp down a tall glass of ice water, and read a good book. Screw the dresses. Screw etiquette. _Screw Neji!_

Sakura stood and pulled the elastic from her hair, shaking her head slightly to let the pink tresses, curly with sweat and the pressure from the supple band, fall to her shoulders. She was halfway to her room and the blessed cold water of the shower when the doorbell rang.

Giving a sigh and throwing her head back-- "this is just _typical_"-- Sakura crossed the large apartment hallway and unlocked the door, throwing it open. "Yes?" she asked irritably… and promptly froze.

Naruto, apparently fresh from work (he was wearing his usual white Oxford shirt and black pants, a dark green tie loosely knotted a little below his collarbone) was standing in her doorway, his jacket thrown casually over his shoulder, eyebrows raised in mild shock at her presence. "Sakura-chan, what are you doing home?"

Sakura let out a nervous laugh, very conscious of the fact that her roommate was her boss's assistant. _I hate that he has just as much clout with her as I do. Damn it all. _"Hey there… I just got back from a lunch meeting with Tsunade-shishou and Hyuuga. I was working out. What are _you_ doing here so early?"

"I told Gaara to meet me here at two forty-five… what time is it now?"

"One fifty-three," she answered after a quick glance at her watch. "Why, did you expect him to want to come early?"

Naruto flashed her a grin as he passed by her, and she shut the door as he answered her. "Nah, it's not his style to be early to anything… but I thought his brother and sister might have given him a push." Sakura laughed at this. Temari and Kankurou, Gaara's brother and sister, had been behind Gaara one hundred and ten percent on his quest to become 'Kazekage'-- the nickname given to the CEO of Konoha Magazine, Inc.'s foreign spin-off, Suna Mag-- and could almost be considered pushy in the way they prodded their little brother into projecting a professional image (not like he needed any help).

It was pure coincidence that Naruto knew Gaara… the two had competed in a tough competition years ago, just as he and Neji had. And when Gaara's brother Kankurou had been poisoned at an annual banquet hosted by Konoha Magazine and Suna Mag, by a vicious hopeful who wanted to take out the Sabaku siblings and take over their jobs, Sakura had been there to purge it from his system with her extensive medical knowledge. Because of those two occurrences, the Sabaku siblings and Sakura and Naruto were very close.

"D'you want anything to drink?" Sakura asked, moving into the kitchen.

Her cheerful friend nodded, throwing his suit jacket on the arm of a chair and plopping down on the couch. "Yeah… can you just get me a water, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura threw back a 'yes' and filled up two glasses of water. Walking back into the living room, she handed him one and took a long draught from her own. "So why is Gaara-san coming, anyway? The banquet was a couple months ago, and that's usually the only time he comes to Konohagakure."

Naruto accepted the glass with a grin of thanks and gulped it down quickly. "Tsunade-baa-san invited him here to go to the charity dinner ball on Saturday. Speaking of which, what should I wear?" He frowned and put his empty glass on the side table, looking a little sheepish. "I mean… if I'm going with Hinata-chan… I want to look okay…"

"Probably a tux, then," Sakura answered casually, sipping her water. "It is black-tie, after all. And we should get you a bow t-- wait, you're going with Hina…?-- wait, the charity ball is on _Saturday_?" After interrupting herself twice, Sakura clenched her glass so hard she feared it would shatter. "You're joking!"

"Nah, not joking… oi, Sakura-chan, did you forget?"

"No," Sakura said defensively. "Well, yes, I… other things on my… oh GODS!" she nearly shrieked, setting down her glass hard, and Naruto jumped.

"What, what? What's wrong?" he asked frantically.

"I… I have nothing to _wear_!" she wailed, sitting heavily on the couch and putting her face into her hands. "First this damn dinner date, now a friggin' _ball_? Fate just hates me, doesn't it?"

"Well, I dunno," Naruto said cautiously, putting an arm around her, "I don't see how it could when you're so pretty, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura gave him a rather wry look before laughing and giving him a grateful kiss on the cheek. "That's a bit rich, considering I just pummeled the punching bag for half an hour, but thanks for trying. I can't believe I've actually succeeded in teaching you tact!"

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, it'll come in handy when I ask Hinata-chan to the ball…"

Sakura beamed at him. "I'm so proud of you! What made you decide to do it?"

"Dunno," he answered lamely. "She just looked really pretty today. D'you think she'll say yes?"

His pink-haired friend snorted at him. "You're so dense, Naruto. She'll faint. And then she'll say yes, and she'll be very close to fainting again, so stand guard."

Naruto laughed. "She is kind of shy, isn't she? So what's all this about a dinner date, Sakura-chan? Got a mysterious boyfriend I should meet?"

Sakura stood and gave him a pointed look. "Even if I did have a mysterious boyfriend, I wouldn't let you, Sai, or Kakashi within fifty feet of him. The last time you 'met' one of my dates, he ended up telling me _over the phone_ that he wouldn't be able to make it."

"Why is telling you over the phone so bad?"

"Because he was in Kumogakure by then," she told him, exasperated. "My dinner 'date' is really a lesson on etiquette with the abominable Hyuuga Neji." She gave a little groan. "I still need to buy a dress for that… and now a gown for the charity ball… this damnable article is going to totally drain my bank account."

"Get Ino to help you with your shopping," Naruto advised absently, taking off his tie. "She loves that sort of stuff."

"Actually, that's one of your better ideas," said Sakura thoughtfully. "I'm going to take a shower, then call her up… tell Gaara I said 'hi', okay?"

"Will do."

And, in the style of all the males Sakura knew, he promptly turned on the TV.

---

After a luxurious shower, a phone call to Ino's cell, and another tall glass of water, Sakura had felt ready to take on the world. Blow-drying her hair into straightness had been a chore as it always was, but putting on casual clothing had been absolute relief after the stuffy and semi-formal pants and blouse she wore to work and her constricting exercise clothes. If only she could wear jeans and a T-shirt to the charity ball…

Now, Sakura buttoned up her toggle coat as she walked outside the apartment complex… the wind was brisk, even for late October. She didn't have long to wait, however, for Ino's slim blue sports car slid smoothly to a stop by the curb a minute later. The small woman ducked inside and grinned at her friend. "Hey. You took shorter than I expected."

"Well, you did mention the word 'shopping'," Ino answered with a grin, and Sakura laughed. "And you know I was just _so_ upset to drop every boring little thing I was doing in the office to go shopping with _you_ for _dresses_. This is the opportunity of a lifetime." She pulled away from the curb and executed a neat U-turn to get to the shops. "No offence meant, Sakura, but you're seriously lacking in the formal clothing department. Do you even own a dress?"

"Well, no," Sakura conceded, hasty to defend herself, "but I had a skirt until I ripped it yesterday!"

"Good gods, the girl's hopeless," Ino murmured to the roof of the car. "Well, we'll just have to get you something awesome to make sure you look drop-dead gorgeous, won't we?"

"If we must," Sakura muttered sullenly.

"Oh, we most definitely must," said Ino firmly. "We very _certainly_ must."

Sakura wasn't sure what the feral little grin on her platinum-blonde friend's face meant, but she was sure that she didn't like it.

---

Hyuuga Hiashi was a tough man to please.

Everyone knew this, so everyone tried to make him as happy as possible, which usually ended with the person in question in tears and Hiashi himself angrier than before. The select few that had displeased him so heavily to step into his office had never been seen again.

This last bit of knowledge weighed heavily on Hinata's shoulders as she walked to her father's office's imposing mahogany doors. They were polished so well she could see her nervous reflection in them. How could she pull off what Hokage Tsunade-sama had asked of her? How could she deceive a man who seemed to see right through you, suck the truth right from your bones?

Never mind that the Main House leader was her father… Hinata was simply terrified of the man.

Biting her lip, she rapped timidly on the door. There was no answer, and Hinata was ready to bolt until she felt a familiar and comforting presence to her left.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Hinata-sama," Neji's calm baritone assured her. "You are his daughter. His heir."

Hinata sighed. "Yes. But he has such a… c-commanding presence. It is hard for me." She gave him a sidelong glance. Hokage-sama had given her the bare details of whatever plot Neji was hatching, not wishing to worry her with the little things, but Hinata knew better… anything involving sneaking around or lying to Hyuuga Hiashi was extremely dangerous, even if she didn't quite know why. "Neji-san, please don't harm yourself or Sakura-chan with w-whatever you're doing," she said quietly, her voice gaining a little strength. "I am worried for you. Both of you. You d-don't know how much influence H-Hiash-"

Neji's eyes, so like her own, flickered a little with something indecipherable. "Hinata-sama, you promised us this one thing. Please."

The dark-haired girl was stunned; was Neji, her prideful older cousin, actually begging her? Pleading with her? It was inconceivable, and yet there he was, pale lavender eyes boring into her own with a power uncannily like her father's, and yet so much gentler. It wasn't long ago that Neji had secretly tried to kill her, jealous of her status as Hyuuga heir. He had thought her undeserving, thought her weak. And now he was beseeching her to go against the most powerful man in her family.

She didn't know at all what this mission of her cousin's was, or how and why he had recruited her boss and one of her best friends into helping him, but she had a strong feeling that whatever it was would bring about a downfall… and whether of Neji or her own father, she didn't know.

_I can't say no_, she thought to herself suddenly, and she turned back to the door and knocked… strongly this time, sure of herself, sure of what she wanted and needed to do.

Her father's stern voice called her in, she opened the door just a crack; and when she turned her head to look to Neji for guidance or comfort, he was gone, a shadow flitting down the hallway to her left.

Trembling slightly, Hinata stepped through the threshold and into her father's office. "Otou-san?"

"Yes, what is it?" His voice was gruff as he looked up from a batch of papers. "I'm busy, you should know better than to interrupt."

"Gomen nasai." She made a small bow, her cheeks flushed with shame at his scolding.

He sighed and put the papers down. "Close the door. Sit. Straighten your posture, slumping is not the mark of the Hyuuga clan."

Hinata winced a little at the constant stream of criticism. "Gomen nasai," she said again. "I came to t-tell you about something important, otou-san. Sir."

Hiashi sighed rather irritably; obviously, the thought Hinata's view of what was important was clearly different than his own. "If this is another plea to go out with that obnoxious blonde boy at Konoha Magazine, I will not-"

"It's not," Hinata interrupted, "about Naruto-san." Her voice was a little more confident than it had been before at this disdainful statement about her crush. "It is about Neji-san."

At this, Hiashi's eyes narrowed slightly. "Ah, Neji. You have been keeping in touch with him, then? He trusts you?"

"He does," Hinata said. _That_ wasn't a lie, at least… although her father had no need to know just how close she and Neji had become over the years… more like brother and sister than cousins. After Neji had tried to kill her years ago, he had been put under heavy watch. But after years of politeness and respect, not to mention the blessing of his own prodigious skill, Neji had been put on a looser leash, and was only 'spied on' by Hinata.

"Then what is it? Has he been doing anything suspicious?" her father asked sharply, steepling his fingers.

"No, no, n-nothing like that!" she said quickly, holding up her hands in protest. "It's just that you told me to relay everything to y-you, including his relationships with other… other p-people."

"I did. What of it?"

"I've seen him call on a woman who works with me," Hinata said at last, relieved she could finally do her job and get it over with. "Haruno Sakura, she works as a c-columnist. I believe you've seen her before… she's the one w-with…"

"Pink hair?" Hiashi frowned. "Yes, I know of whom you speak. He sees her often?"

"I've seen him in the office a c-couple of times, heading towards her office." Well, that wasn't exactly true, but she needed to get all the false information Tsunade had given her to say into her father's ears.

"Hm." Hiashi peered at her over his fingers, his gaze steady and more than a little harsh. Hinata felt her breath go a bit shallow and hoped to the high heavens he couldn't see her anxiety. "If it goes any further, tell me at once, Hinata," he said, his voice low. "A Hyuuga, even a Branch Hyuuga, cannot court a woman unless I have given my direct approval. Remind him of this."

"Yes, sir."

The pale-eyed man gave her one last sweeping, searching look before nodding to her with a small sigh. "You've done well, Hinata." (She felt herself exhale deeply in relief.) "I must say you've surprised me. You may make us proud yet. You're dismissed, and I shall see you at breakfast tomorrow morning."

Hinata bowed low and exited the room quicker than she'd ever done in her life. _It's not normal_, she thought to herself with a small frown as she walked briskly through the hallways, _to feel dread when your father compliments your efforts and tells you you've made the family proud. It's not good._

She'd finished the task assigned to her with no problem. Her father was not suspicious, merely disdainful of Neji's suggested impropriety. It was exactly the reaction Tsunade-sama had wanted. So why did she feel more worried than ever?

---

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update… I've had quite the busy week! But I rather like this chapter, even though it doesn't have any real action (see the title of the chapter!). It's mostly character development. We got to see how Tsunade accepted Neji's offer, and we delved a little into the mind of Hinata, who will be a quasi-important character in the story. Poor girl doesn't know whose side to choose!

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Don't alert and run, please… reviews and constructive criticism make my day.


	3. Calling at the Clouds

**The Brighter Side of Chaos**

---

III: Calling at the Clouds

_When I too long have looked upon your face,  
Wherein for me a brightness unobscured  
Save by the mists of brightness has its place,  
And terrible beauty not to be endured,  
I turn away reluctant from your light,  
And stand irresolute, a mind undone,  
A silly, dazzled thing deprived of sight  
From having looked too long upon the sun._

_--Edna St. Vincent Millay_

---

TenTen blinked.

Stared.

And then staggered in shock, holding onto her desk for support.

"You're going on a date with _Hyuuga Neji_?" she demanded of Sakura incredulously. "Wh-- _the_ Hyuuga Neji? Long, dark hair? White eyes? Hinata's cousin?"

Sakura frowned testily. "How many Hyuuga Neji's do you know?"

"Well, there must be two, because the one I shared an apartment with for three years would never, _ever_ ask out _anyone_. I half-thought he was gay for a while."

The pink-haired woman grinned at that and closed the door of TenTen's office behind her as she stepped fully inside. "I can see someone thinking that, actually. Lee told me you guys shared an apartment two years ago, but when I asked him where the restaurant was, he said he didn't remember… and to come ask you. So here I am."

TenTen frowned in puzzlement. "Which restaurant?"

"Someplace called Chez Paolo. I've never heard of it. Is it far away or something?"

The brunette's jaw dropped low. "Tony's? He's taking you to Chez Paolo?"

"That's what he said." Sakura looked anxious. "Why? What's wrong with it?"

TenTen smacked a hand to her forehead. "What's wrong wi-- Sakura, it's Chez Paolo! One of the nicest restaurants in the country. Five stars and celebrity-studded. I can't believe you've never heard of it." She whistled lowly. "Actually, I can't believe he's taking you there."

Sakura appeared to be in a semi-panic. "Wait, what d'you mean? Will I not be dressed nicely enough?"

"You said you were wearing a black cocktail dress, right? That'll be fine." TenTen shook her head. "Wow. A date with the elusive Hyuuga Neji-- a date at _Chez Paolo_. You are one lucky girl."

Sakura was thinking rather the opposite, but tried not to let her distaste show on her face. "Yeah, I guess so. Do you know where it is? He told me to meet him there."

TenTen nodded. "I do. Actually, it's not that far of a walk from your apartment, as the crow flies… can't believe you've never heard of it, can't believe you're _going_…" she repeated under her breath. "When did he say to meet him there?"

"Eight." A bit annoyed now, Sakura put her hands on her hips. "When did you go, then, if it's so elite?"

"Neji took Lee and me there once." TenTen grinned. "Nicest thing he's ever publicly done for us. Anyone, probably. I'll come over later and walk you there, okay? I have to go that direction anyway at about seven fifty-ish."

"Thanks, TenTen. I'll see you later, ne?"

The dark-eyed woman frowned. "What, you can't stay for a chat? I want to know all the details! How'd you meet, why he asked you out, how he did it… it's not every day Neji asks out a girl!"

Sakura laughed-- a bit nervously, TenTen thought with a suspicious quirk of the eyebrow. "Sorry, I have a meeting with Tsunade."

"Ah, the princess herself." TenTen gave a wry smile and shooed the younger woman away with her hand. "Don't let me keep you, then… I heard you were late yesterday. Another tardy with the Legendary Sucker and you might not be fit to go on a date at all."

"No kidding." Sakura grinned. "Thanks again, Ten."

"No problem."

TenTen watched as her green-eyed friend left the room. The girl had acted extremely nervous throughout what should have been a simple, friendly chat… and the Sakura TenTen knew would have delayed a regular meeting with Tsunade happily. Why was she so anxious to get going? And why, come to think of it, had she avoided all of TenTen's questions? It's not like they were too personal, after all.

What was up?

TenTen smirked a bit before turning and sitting down at her desk. She really did have to do some work… but later, perhaps a visit to Ino, the magazine's self-proclaimed gossip queen, was in order.

---

"That dress is a bit racy, don't you think?"

Sakura frowned at her silver-haired companion, the perpetually late, porn-loving, one-eye-blind man she'd once called her sensei. "Anything above mid-shin on me is 'racy' to you, Kakashi-senpai. This is perfectly sensible. It isn't 1950 anymore." Turning to her full-length mirror, she tugged at the hem of the black cocktail dress. "It _is_ appropriate, isn't it?"

"Of course it is," TenTen interjected loudly, before Kakashi could say anything besides a hurt "I wasn't even born in the fifties". "It's only an inch or two above the knee. And besides, it's hot. It's about time you wore something that made you look like a girl."

Sakura shot her friend a glare, but the brown-haired woman smirked. "This is a conspiracy," Sakura hissed to her reflection. "You and Ino are both in on this, aren't you? I bet you talked to her right after I left your office. Traitor."

TenTen said nothing, but her smirk grew as Naruto grumbled behind her. "Sakura-chan shouldn't look _hot_," the blonde man complained irritably, arms crossed. "What if she gets attacked? Kidnapped? Raped? Or… or worse?" he finished rapidly, apparently unable to find words to express just what kind of horrible things might happen.

"By who, Hyuuga Neji?" Sakura snorted in a rather unladylike way that came at odds with her dress. "The Ice King himself?"

Naruto's guest, Gaara, gave a ghost of a smile at this. "I thought I was the Ice King," he said, his deep voice amused. "At least, I was last time I talked to you."

The pink-haired woman by the mirror scowled good-naturedly at this. "You were, Gaara, you were. But you should meet this guy, I bet even you would be astonished at just how much of a jerk he can be… he has a stick up his ass that's roughly the size of a telephone pole."

Sai and TenTen laughed at this (and even Gaara let out a small chuckle), but Kakashi and Naruto were still glaring at the black cocktail dress as if it had done them personal insult. "I can't believe I'm saying this," Kakashi said, for once bothering to look up from his favorite little orange book, "but I agree with Naruto. That dress is far too skimpy, especially since I don't know this young man you're going out with. I'd have to come in here and meet him first-"

"Kaka-senpai, I've been through this with Naruto. The last guy I tried to go out with after you interrogated him was shaking. I don't know what you do with them, and honestly, I don't want to know… but that was the last time I let you anywhere near a new date."

Kakashi looked at her with his one gray eye. "I won't let you go out wearing that dress, Sakura," he said. His voice was cold and commanding-- the voice he'd used when he had forbidden her to stop running, kept her from stopping when she'd been close to collapsing with exhaustion. Her old boxing coach, Naruto's old martial arts master… Kakashi was not one to be underestimated. She knew he wasn't fooling.

Well, goddamn it, neither was she.

Not when it came to this date.

Er-- not when it came to this _story_, she corrected herself hastily. The story. Think 'story'.

Sakura turned around in a deliberate way and walked towards him in three long steps, until she was just close enough to see the print on the pages of his nasty porno book. "Kaka-senpai."

Kakashi turned a cool gray eye on her. "Mm?"

Daring her to question him, to challenge.

Daring her to win.

"This is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Kaka-senpai, and I'm not going to sacrifice it to you or let you spoil it because you think a perfectly acceptable dress is 'a bit racy'. I love you. Now back off."

The moment where green eyes bored into gray was long and tense. It seemed like the whole room was holding its breath.

Kakashi snapped his book shut and sighed. "Such a commanding tone isn't really what's looked for in a lady, you know. This boy you're after… a Hyuuga, you say? They're taken on propriety. A damsel in distress turns them on. So be a bit more gentle… and respect your elders. Brat," he added under his breath, though he was smiling beneath this customary face mask.

Sakura was too relieved to snap back at him for calling her a brat. Let Kakashi think that this 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' was about a guy… what did she care? It was better that very few knew about the article anyway. It left less chance for error.

Gaara was slightly stunned at this little event: a strong, powerful man like Hatake Kakashi bowing to a pink-haired woman so small she didn't even reach his chin? It was certainly clear who was the boss of that little family. He took a look around to gauge the reactions of the other people in the room; the tall woman with her hair in buns, TenTen, had a look akin to his own on her face, a look of mild shock… but Naruto and Sai looked positively frightened at the threatening look on their sister-figure's face, the storm cloud that hovered over her narrowed eyes.

Well, damn.

For her to strike this much fear into three full-grown men…

Well, he had better remember not to get her angry.

_As of now_, Sakura thought (rather obliviously) to herself as she clipped her bangs to the back of her head with a jeweled barrette, _only Naruto, Sai, Hyuuga, and Tsunade-san know. And Hinata knows only enough to get her job done._ She glanced at her reflection as the occupants of the room began chattering again, small talk and laughter fading dimly in her ears. _This had better be as good a job as I'm making it out to be. If there's nothing there, and if I'm caught as a spy on Hyuuga property…_ She shivered. The Hyuuga had always scared her, and now even more so… with this mysterious punishment… who knew what was at their disposal?

_Well, plenty of money. And that's always enough._

Sakura shook her head to clear it of the bad thoughts (how much money did it take to hire an assassin, exactly?) and turned around to smile rather weakly at TenTen. "Ready." She gave TenTen her jacket and grabbed her own.

The taller brunette nodded and slipped on her green pea coat. "I still can't believe you're going on a date with Neji," she marveled as Sakura buttoned up her own coat. "My apartment-mate for three years, and he didn't say a thing when I talked to him yesterday! I'll have to grill him about it when I see him again. How did this happen, anyhow?"

Sakura gave a hesitant chuckle as they stepped outside and buried her face into the lapel of her toggle coat. The wind was brisk tonight, and goosebumps rose on her exposed legs. "It just sort of… came together, I guess," Sakura told her friend, rehearsing the lie she'd gone over with Tsunade that very morning. Thank goodness she'd gotten away before she'd had to answer that same question earlier. "You know that I was a nurse for a while, when I was considering med school? Nursing ability comes in handy. I was at Naruto's martial arts studio a couple months ago, and he was sparring with Neji-san… I think he was visiting from some other dojo. He got a hard blow on the arm-- Neji did-- and so I went over to help him. We've been talking since then, you know, casually." She paused, then smirked a little. "He's an arrogant ass sometimes, but…"

"But he can be such a gentleman, I know," TenTen finished with a knowing nod (though Sakura had been about to say something completely different, and a lot more rude). "I had the biggest crush on him for about a year and a half. He's not exactly bad-looking, is he?"

Sakura laughed, and her breath showed in the dark. _A gentleman? Like hell._ "No, he is most certainly not bad-looking." _What?_ she defended to her inner-self mentally. It's not like she couldn't _admit_ it… Hyuuga Neji was absolutely stunning. No lie. But that didn't excuse him from being a pigheaded asshole. "Thanks for showing me the way to this… this _Chez Paulo_ place. I've never heard of it."

TenTen grinned at her. "I'm not surprised. I hadn't either, not until Neji took Lee and me there for our anniversary. It's classy, y'know? For the elite and the snobbishly upper-class. Wait till you see what some of the women there wear."

"Old Stick-Up-His-Butt? Snobbishly upper-class? _Never_."

"Hey, the people at Chez Paolo seem to like him."

Sakura frowned. "They know him that well? How?"

"The Hyuuga are well-known, Branch or not," TenTen told her serenely, fixing her eyes on the big building ahead.

'_Branch or not_'?

Sakura wondered just how much the slim brunette knew about this 'dinner date' as the two women approached the restaurant. A uniformed man stood out front next to the thick red carpet, his face handsome, his hair slicked back neatly and a clipboard at his side. "Ladies. I welcome you to _Chez Paolo._ Do you have a reservation?"

"She's with Hyuuga Neji. A party of two," TenTen said smoothly as Sakura boggled uninhibited. The door was inlaid with richly-colored stained glass, and the enticing smell of fresh steak wafted through the air in front of the door. "I am only here to escort her."

The liveried man made a small note on his clipboard and nodded. "I see. This way, please, mademoiselle."

_Mademoiselle?_ Sakura gave a high-pitched squeak of anxiety and turned nervously to TenTen, who nodded her encouragement, before following the elegant footman into the building.

The warmth came at her like a soothing breeze, scented with spices and the smell of sizzling meat, setting her stomach to grumbling uncomfortably. After gently asking her if she would like her coat checked ("I-I-I… ah… yes, please…!") the man led her down a seemingly endless carpeted path, ducking past waitresses and waiters that stood so straight Sakura was afraid their spines would snap. The walls were dark wood and covered with expensive-looking oil paintings and pictures of celebrities that had visited the restaurant before. To her astonishment, the founding brothers of Konoha Magazine, Inc. had a signed photo hung in the middle of the hallway. The floor was polished wood covered with red and gold carpeting, and tables crowded the main room. There were five hallways branching off from the main dining area that she assumed were for private parties or separate dining rooms. Sakura suddenly felt very, very out of place here in this elegant building; her cocktail dress was nice, but it didn't even begin to compare with some of the gowns the women here had! That one was a glittering gold satin… and that one would have to be silk… with actual _rubies_ sewn into the neckline!

"My god," Sakura muttered, distressed.

The big man turned and gave her a reassuring smile. "Some of our guests do like to put on airs," he told her confidentially, a glitter in his eye that reminded her strangely of Kakashi. "But as you're a friend of Master Neji, I have a hunch you'll be one of the more pleasant to work with."

Sakura blushed at this. "Arigatou."

The man ducked his head cordially and led her into one of the larger hallways, into a smallish, elegantly-furnished room with five tables. It was at the one in the middle that Neji sat, in plain view of everyone, a calm and elegant look on that stoic face. His hair was tied back in a slightly higher ponytail than she had seen it in before, and he was wearing a dark red dress shirt and nice black slacks. It wasn't fair that someone like Neji could dress normally and still look incredible. It wasn't fair that Sakura had to wear this dress.

Neji looked up as she and the footman arrived and nodded slightly. "Turn."

Still nervous, Sakura spun on the spot, fidgeting with the hem of her dress.

Her dinner date tilted his head slightly and nodded almost imperceptibly, motioning for her to take her seat. "Arigatou."

The footman helped her sit at the table by pushing out her chair, then took her artfully-folded napkin from the plate, shook it out at the side of the table, and spread it over her lap. "My name is Andre," he told Sakura with a warm smile. "If you need anything, ask for me. Monsieur Neji. Mademoiselle…"

"Sakura," she blurted. "Haruno Sakura."

"Mademoiselle Sakura. I hope you enjoy your meal." Andre bowed and ducked out of the room, hardly making a sound above the clink of cutlery and the chatter of the wealthy and overly-fortunate.

Neji looked at her almost appraisingly, from the clipped-back bangs to the cocktail dress to her shiny black shoes. "I approve. You look quite appropriate."

"Oh, lovely. Because that's just what I was hoping for, you know… _your_ approval," Sakura returned scathingly.

Neji raised an eyebrow at this. "I wasn't aware it was your nature to return a compliment with scorn. I do _try_ to be civil, you know."

Sakura was flustered at this; she had expected him to retort right back, as he had done before. "It's-- it's not that!" she said quickly. "I'm sorry. I'm just…"

"Nervous?"

She picked up her water glass instead of answering, determinedly not looking at him.

"I understand." Neji frowned a bit as she averted her eyes. "Perhaps it was hasty of me to bring you here so soon. But you need to learn proper etiquette before you see my uncle. Don't do that."

"What?"

"Fiddle with your napkin so. It gives the impression of anxiety."

Sakura shot him a mild glare. "I _am_ nervous, idiot. This is the nicest place I've ever been in. Can you believe one of the women out there has rubies sewn into her dress?"

"Yes, I saw her on my way in." He scowled a little and murmured something about 'hussies' before continuing. "Your dress is appropriate, don't fret about it. I'm actually rather impressed… I half-thought you'd show up in jeans."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "So now we're back to the insults?"

"I wasn't aware we'd stopped. Now, _darling_, a couple hints. You did fine when Andre helped you sit, but you must remember this one thing-- remember it well: you are weak."

The pink-haired woman choked on her water and slammed the glass down, ready to yell, and people at surrounding tables glanced their way. Before she could shout, Neji put his hand up. "A woman," he explained steadily and quietly, so that the onlookers turned back to their meals, "must let the man do whatever he can for her. You do not push yourself in to the table. You do not go anywhere alone… not to the restrooms, even. An escort would be provided. You will be helped into cars, escorted into every room you wish to enter, and you must act as if there was no way you could do it yourself."

Sakura stared at him for a moment, wide-eyed, as a woman came by with a bottle of wine. Neji glanced at the label and nodded, and the uniformed waitress poured some into each waiting glass. "No wonder Hinata's so shy," Sakura murmured, taking a swig of her wine. "She has to act like that all the time?"

Neji ducked his head in acknowledgement. "She does. You're exactly right. Now. When you take your glass to drink, you must do it delicately, and take a small sip. It's considered boorish to down a glass like a horse at a trough."

"I was not acting like a horse at a-!"

"Yes, actually, you were. Take another drink, and this time do it right."

Sakura glared mutinously at her dinner partner and took the smallest, most dainty sip of wine she thought possible without dropping and shattering the glass.

"Better. Although death glares don't go well with red wine. Ruins the bouquet, you know."

"I suppose that smug little smirk of yours is acceptable, though?"

"Oh, yes." Neji took his wineglass and swirled it under his nose. "Before you drink-- drink wine, I mean-- you must smell it. Inhale it."

"Smell it?"

"Echoing me does nothing but make you seem stupid, Haruno-san. Swirl the wine. Sniff at it. Then sip. _Delicately_. You have about as much grace as a hippo doing ballet."

Sakura grasped her glass tightly, screwing up her face in an effort not to leap over the table and hit him as hard as she could. "Swirl, sniff, sip. Got it."

"And try not to look pained while doing it, please, Haruno-san. It is frowned upon."

_That's it!_

Sakura slammed her glass down as hard as she could without breaking it. "Look here, Miss Manners, I'm not in this for the torture, okay? If you keep treating me like I'm absolute dirt, I'm going to leave right now and show up at your fancy little Hyuuga party wearing dirty overalls and a tube top, and I don't give a damn what happens. You're pissing me-"

_Haruno-san?_

Suddenly, she stopped; her face flashed from extreme annoyance to a look of meek contrition, and she bowed her head slightly. "My apologies, Hiashi-sama. It was not my place to speak so to a man of such power and prestige."

Neji's eyes widened slightly, and he leaned forward with a small smirk. "Very nice. I didn't think you'd catch it. How'd you know I was pretending to be my uncle?"

Sakura grinned triumphantly. "You called me Haruno-_san_. I know you wouldn't stoop to using a polite suffix normally."

"Good." _I should have know she'd be observant… she is a reporter, after all._ "But I wasn't kidding about how to drink the wine." She made a face at him and took another sip, to which he raised an eyebrow. "And juvenility like that isn't going to help your case much, just so you know."

Sakura sighed irritably and put down the wineglass. "I wasn't kidding about showing up in overalls and a tube top, either," she told him with a small, vindictive snarl. "If you insist on treating me like I'm some goddamn savage, I'll act like it."

Neji shook his head disappointedly at her before turning to an oncoming waiter. "Two pepper steaks, please. The usual."

"Yes, sir."

As the waiter bowed and walked away, Neji turned back to her. "Haruno, you've got to stop being so outspoken. It's not fitting-"

"How can you be so pigheaded?"

"This is not pigheadedness, Haruno, it's necessi--"

"Seriously, I don't know what's _wrong_ w-"

"_This isn't me!_"

Sakura stopped speaking at once, her mouth half-open in reprimand; Neji's tone was so forceful she'd abruptly shut up in the middle of a sentence. For the first time, her dinner partner was emanating real passion; he was angry, anyone could tell, the cold fury radiating from his form in waves. Sakura realized suddenly that she was leaning over the table, her body language inexcusably aggressive, while he was sitting upright, regal and terrifying. Shell-shocked, she leaned back in her seat, green eyes open wide at the Hyuuga Branch member's outburst, conscious of the many eyes that were on them.

Neji took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, before speaking again with a small smile on his face to throw off the onlookers. Clenching his napkin under the table, he said: "I want you to understand this completely, Har-- Sakura-san… these are not my ideas. These are not my views. I… I have friends that are as outspoken as anyone could ever be… people I care for deeply that are, even so, loud enough to wake the dead. I believe you live with one of them." Sakura gave a wry smile at this and opened her mouth to interject, but Neji held up a hand to silence her. And surprisingly, it worked. The woman in front of him was oddly calm and complacent as he continued. "These are the opinions of my uncle. Hiashi does not like women that have a mind of their own. He is under the impression that a good woman is one who is weak, feeble, and timid… you will find that when you visit the estate. For this… courtship… to work, you must be quieter. Demure. Submissive, if it comes to that. Do you understand?"

Sakura screwed up her face a little bit and toyed with her napkin, folding it and unfolding it and twisting it in a knot. "That's… I mean… that's totally 1800s," she said at last, tying the cloth into a bow. "Your uncle must be some kind of asshole. But…" She sighed at his pointed look. "Yes. I understand."

"That's good." Neji gave another deep sigh and looked off, towards a table full of chattering women. They all wore spangled silk dresses and mounds of jewelry on their thin bodies, heaps of jeweled rings on their skinny fingers. He unfocused his eyes slowly, until the candlelight hitting their apparel turned them into shapeless sparkles… happy, glittering things with no shape and no substance. Only false light.

He sighed again, nodded, and repeated himself as his eyes focused again, bringing the women into sharp focus, their sparkly dresses winking at him in the candlelight, hurting his eyes, diving at him like glittering little knives…

"That's good."

---

"How'd the date go?" Naruto asked casually as the door closed behind him. He, Gaara, and Sai had the TV on mute during the commercial breaks-- Kakashi had evidently left the all-male party before Sakura had gotten back.

Sakura fixed a small glare on him, and the excitable blonde shrunk back visibly. "It wasn't a--" she started, and then stopped. Gaara, she remembered in a small panic, didn't know anything about this plan. And though it wasn't even possible that the redhead would reveal any secret of hers, she didn't want to take risks. "It went okay," she amended quickly, hanging up her jacket in the coat closet. "He took me to a really nice restaurant: Tony's, up in the Elite Quarter. But you know Neji… he's the new Ice King. You can hardly have a civilized conversation with him without him spouting with criticism or arrogance or… or whatever." She sighed deeply and hopped over the back of the couch, landing neatly between Naruto and Sai. "But I suppose I've got to give him another chance, don't I? I mean… it's only fair."

"Aa." Naruto frowned slightly. "And what did he say about your dress? To scandalous for the fancy restaurant?"

"For your information," Sakura returned smugly, "he said I looked quite appropriate. So there. That dress wasn't the least bit racy… you should have seen what these other women had on! _Dripping_ with jewels, and with a neckline to their stomachs. I looked like a nun next to them."

She'd expected her roommate to sulk about being wrong about the dress, but instead Naruto chuckled. "He's a charmer, isn't he? 'Quite appropriate'."

Sai laughed, and Sakura buried her head in her hands in frustration. "Ohh," she moaned, "it really is hopeless, isn't it?"

From next to Naruto, Gaara's deep chuckle sounded in her ears. "Nothing is hopeless, Sakura."

"Aa, listen to Gaara!" Naruto said happily, clapping the redhead on the back and being rewarded with a glare. "He was an arrogant ass the first time I met him, and look at him now!"

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Well…" Naruto faltered. "Okay, so he's still a little conceited… no offense, man…"

Gaara smirked a bit. "I have reason to be--"

"--but that's not the point!" Naruto said dismissively, leaning towards Sakura with a glint in his eye. "On the outside, yeah… Neji's an asshole. If you only keep trying, though, eventually he'll start to respect you. And then he's one of the coolest guys you'll ever meet. I promise."

Sakura shook her head. "Naruto, how is this going to work if I can't even talk to him? He lectures me about etiquette, but he acts like a complete jerk to me!"

Gaara frowned slightly. "Nobody said that a relationship like that has to work," he said reasonably. "If you don't think he will treat you right, stop this before it starts."

Sakura looked at the jade-eyed man with something akin to puzzlement before she realized that he had no idea why cooperating with Neji was so important. "The thing is," she said quietly, "is that it's already started. And now… I need to see it through."

In a moment of uncharacteristic gentleness, Sai grabbed her hand and squeezed it hard. "Then see it through," he said simply. "_Make_ it work. Think of it as… remember when you spent two months getting Naruto and me to get along? Think of it as that."

Sakura let out a groan, but she was smiling. "As long as it isn't as hard as that. You guys are stubborn as… as."

"You?"

She punched Naruto in the shoulder. "Oh, funny. Very funny." After a moment, she sighed. "I'll go up to bed, I guess. I'm a little worn out after today…"

"Ne, ne, Sakura-chan, stay with us," Naruto wheedled. "Please? It'll help you relax."

Sai gave her a beseeching smile and Gaara turned back to the TV (which she took as an affirmation of his agreement), and Naruto's pout was too sweet to refuse. Sighing, she settled back into the couch, tucking herself into home and hearth and heart. "Sure," she said at last. "I could do with a little relaxation."

---

The dinner had gone relatively well after the slightly awkward moment after he'd explained his uncle, Neji decided later. He was walking home after dropping Sakura off at her own home, and the solitude was something he cherished. The streets were slick with rain and empty, and the night sky was quiet and lovely.

Sighing a little, Neji went over the rest of the dinner in his mind. He had bluntly corrected her table manners as they ate, she had returned every comment with a scathing retort, another barrage of insults had ensued, and they had parted company in what was becoming the regular mix of irritation and disdain. It had been vastly satisfying to see the normally-truculent pink-haired woman taste a bite of her dinner and swoon, murmuring that it was the best steak she'd ever had, of course… but mentioning his superior choice in restaurants would have most likely launched another ten minutes of insults, and he had been tired before the dinner had even started. Explaining his uncle's stand on women's rights had been more painful that he'd thought it would be, though he wasn't quite sure why that was so.

It was astonishing, though… because as tired as he'd been at the beginning of the evening, now he was as wide awake as ever. He had to admit (but only to himself) that it was a nice change of pace to have a verbal spar against someone as witty and intelligent as himself… he had been mildly shocked to realize that every insult he threw at her had a comeback, that every comment on her bad table manners could easily be returned by some mention of his 'arrogant assholeishness', as she had so eloquently put it.

Against his will, Neji let out a little chuckle at the thought of her angry face; flushed red to the roots of her obnoxiously-colored hair, green eyes narrowed, fork pointing at his heart (a major faux pas, he'd have to remind her not to do that another time), fist clenched on the table, lips curled in a scowl. The woman had an expressive visage, to be sure, and she wasn't afraid to show it off.

Haruno Sakura was a unique type of woman, it seemed. Many of the women he'd met over the years would have had an easy time slipping into the submissive lifestyle of a Hyuuga woman… would have been content to act weak and coy and sickeningly demure. But that pink-haired little snip of a girl had flashed her green eyes at him many a time during that dinner, and had shot off her mouth many times besides.

And he had very nearly visibly winced when he'd seen how awkward and uncomfortable she'd looked in that dress, pulling at the hem and adjusting the straps that crisscrossed around her shoulders. She'd looked presentable, to be sure, but her stance had been that of a girl with very little self-confidence. Which, on one hand, might be good for his uncle… but the poor journalist would have to learn how to stand up for herself around the vicious wolves that were wealthy women.

Neji sighed as he jogged up the stairs to his house; this would be a chore, indeed.

Intent on making a cup of tea and getting to his room quickly, Neji slid open the door to the kitchen in his separate apartment (he'd inherited it as Branch House Leader)--

--and promptly froze at the sight before him.

"Hiashi-sama," he said quickly, covering up his surprise at seeing the Main House Leader sitting in his favorite chair and bowing low. "To what do I owe this most honored vis-"

"Your groveling is tiresome, Neji, do please cease at once," Hiashi's gravelly voice interrupted as he swung his cane at him. "Sit down." Despite the cutting remark and the vague insult at being invited to sit in his own home, his uncle's tone was as light and pleasant as Neji considered possible for him. So nothing had been found out… good. Or maybe Hiashi was being his usual deceptive self and only pretending to be in a good mood?

Neji sat.

His uncle surveyed him stonily for a moment before clearing his throat and flicking a speck of dust off of his robe before folding his hands and placing them on his knee. "Neji, Neji, Neji," he said, and his tone was almost lazy, "I've heard some things lately… about you, that is… and I want to make sure we're clear on some fine points here."

Stoic and silent as always, Neji nodded. "I hope you are not displeased with what you have heard, Hiashi-sama."

"Not displeased." Hiashi shook his head. "No, I'm fine with this little… _fling_ you're having with that pink-haired reporter."

Neji did his best to look shocked. "H-Hiashi-sama, I… you… I never meant…"

His timing was perfect; Hiashi looked down at him with what was probably mean to be a benign smile but was in actuality more of a grimace. "I understand, Neji. I do. I merely want to remind you about Hyuuga rules of courtship. You have not had the company of a woman in a very long time… and dallying about with girls like Haruno Sakura now and then is nothing to be ashamed of."

Neji frowned a bit at this. "'Girls like Haruno Sakura'?" he repeated carefully, averting his eyes.

"Aa. She is the pupil of Hokage Tsunade, correct? I'd like to call girls like that sluts-in-training." He gave a wry smile at his own version of humor. "One look at the Editor-in-Chief herself and you can tell, ne? I've had to call on her on many occasions, and each time has shown her to be rather… well. You know."

For some reason, Neji felt his insides catch on fire. If he had been anyone else, his face would have been flaming at the crude insult; but instead, he felt it internally, felt the heat of shame crawl through his stomach. Sluts-in-training? Hokage Tsunade, a whore? She had a large bosom, true, but to call her a prostitute…

"As I said, I wanted to remind you of the rules of courtship. Do you think you will continue to see this Haruno Sakura?"

As his uncle examined a pear, Neji grimaced before nodding. "Hai, I wish to."

"Well, then, by all means, go ahead. But I should like to meet her before this gets too serious. It would be, after all, the proper etiquette, would it not?"

"Y-yes. Hiashi-sama?"

The Main House Leader turned from the fruit bowl and cast his gaze on his nephew. "Aa?"

"I was thinking of bringing her to the family gathering next week. Would that be a good time?"

His uncle nodded and stood with the help of his cane-- a simple accessory rather than necessity, Neji knew, for his uncle was fit as he himself was. "Yes, I should say so. It will be a… _pleasure_… to meet this girl of whom you are so besotted."

There was no mistaking his mocking tone; Neji felt the disdain like fiery spears in his bloodstream. Defiantly, he looked Hiashi in the eye. "I hope I do not displease you by courting Haruno Sakura, _Uncle_."

CRACK!

The cane hit the floor hard, actually making a dent in the wood; Neji bowed low once again, heart thumping with anger and, to his disgust, a fear that made him want to punch something.

"You forget your place, Neji," his uncle hissed threateningly. "You ask if you displease me? Disrespect towards your betters is _most_ displeasing. If you were wise, Neji, you would not speak to me in that tone. Remember that no matter how high you may rise in the Branch House, I still hold power."

Neji closed his eyes tight, fists clenched, his heart still pounding hard. If he didn't choose his words carefully, the cane's newest target could very well be his head. And he couldn't sabotage what he, Haruno, and Hokage Tsunade were risking everything for. "I understand, Hiashi-sama. It is my fault entirely, and I beg your forgiveness. I bow to you. In all things."

The sickly, submissive words made him want to vomit; so _this_ was what Haruno Sakura must have felt when he'd told her what to do.

"But it's quite all right," Hiashi said regally, his tone quite calm. "So long as this girl does not interfere with your work at the bank, I give my permission freely and gladly. I trust things are going smoothly at work?"

A forced "Aa, Hiashi-sama" was all Neji could do; his throat was clogged with disgust and white-hot anger.

"Very good. Keep it up, then."

"Arigatou, Hiashi-sama."

Hiashi opened the door and smirked a bit before sliding it shut. "Quite."

Neji, still kneeling with his head down, waited until his uncle's footsteps faded into the distance before looking up again. He felt himself trembling, and he was sure the color of his face was no longer controllable; there was no doubt that he was flushed red with anger and embarrassment. It wasn't like he liked the Haruno girl-- in fact, it was the complete opposite-- but he at least _respected_ her, if only marginally. To hear her and her boss… strong women, powerful women, women who didn't take any crap from anyone-- to hear them be called whores and sluts was horrible. To be threatened just for calling Hiashi 'uncle' was almost more than he could bear. If Hiashi had been anyone else, he would have taken them down immediately.

But this was Hiashi's house.

Hiashi's rules.

And so Neji knew he could do nothing.

Standing wearily from the floor using the help of a chair, Neji put his head against the wall and closed his eyes, feeling helpless and hating himself for it.

---

Author's Note: Wow, Hiashi sure is an asshole. I sure hope he gets his just desserts sometime during this story.

Just in case anyone was wondering, Neji does not have his curse mark in this story, so that's why Sakura hasn't been asking any awkward questions or whatnot. I figured it would be odd to be walking around with bandages wrapped around her forehead in a non-Naruto world.

Sorry this chapter took so long… but I'm proud of it. I feel it was worth the effort… I hope you do, too!

See you next chapter.

(And yes, I will be using Millay poetry for the whole story. Edna for the win!)


	4. Lacking What You'd Like

The Brighter Side of Chaos

---

IV: Lacking What You'd Like

_Altered, estranged, disintegrated, lost.  
Nor shall my love avail you in your hour.  
In spite of all my love, you will arise  
Upon that day and wander down the air  
Obscurely as the unattended flower,  
It mattering not how beautiful you were,  
Or how belovèd above all else that dies._

_--Edna St. Vincent Millay_

---

"I think you should invite me to Konoha Magazine's charity ball tomorrow, on Sunday," Neji said suddenly, his deep voice cutting clearly through the light classical waltz playing from Sakura's stereo. "Bring up your elbow a bit."

Irritated, Sakura did as requested, reprimanding him for the criticism with a sharp squeeze on a pressure point in his hand as they danced. "Oh, you think so, do you?" She scowled. "I know tomorrow's Sunday, thanks. I suppose that's what the impromptu dancing lesson is for?"

After nearly a week of etiquette lessons, Neji had come into her apartment after work and had demanded that she learn how to dance properly. After punching a snickering Sai and Naruto into quiet and shooting a glare at Gaara, who had been smirking at her distress, Sakura had grudgingly rearranged the furniture in her room, making a small, circular dance floor. And as punishment for making her go to so much trouble, she was gripping Neji's hand in a rather vengeful way.

"Not originally… you would need to dance anyway, for the Hyuuga gathering this Friday. I thought of the ball just now. And there's no need to hold so tight."

Sakura gripped his hand tighter in spite. "I have nothing to wear."

"That's easily fixed… there are closets full of old gowns at the Hyuuga estate."

"But I thought you were going anyway?" Sakura used as a last resort.

Neji elegantly relinquished his hand from her viselike grip and stepped out to let her twirl under his arm. "I was, but it would look more believable if I escorted you formally. My uncle will be there, you know."

"Oh, that's just lovely," she moaned before joining hands with him again. "Dancing with you, wearing some frilly monstrosity, and meeting your uncle… all in the same night. I'm thrilled."

"I can tell," he said dryly. "Don't be so strong in your dancing. You remember what I said at dinner?"

"Yes, yes-- I'm weak," she repeated angrily as the waltz continued incessantly. "I'm really starting to wonder why I took this job."

"My charm and exquisite looks, I'm sure," Neji taunted lightly, and Sakura made a face.

"Yeah, you're real charming with the constant criticism and the overbearing arrogance. I bet that gets you all the girls, eh?"

Neji smirked at that. "You'd be surprised, Haruno. I can be quite the gentleman when I want to be."

"Funny, I've never seen that side of you."

"Yeah, well, I usually reserve it for more deserving women."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Right, and I don't deserve a little occasional politeness?"

Neji pulled back and let go of her hand, leaning back slightly. Sakura did the same, so that they were holding on with one hand and tilting back, making an 'M' shape with their bodies. "You haven't exactly been the nicest of girlfriends," he told her with a pointed look. "I took away any politeness when you returned compliments with insults."

"I was nervous!" she defended hastily as Neji straightened and tugged lightly on her hand. Not really knowing what to do, she spun forward, making his arm wrap around her until her back was against his chest. One of his hands was over her own, on her collarbone; another was resting against her hip.

"Are you still?" he asked her, voice devoid of any humor or insult, and he looked her in the eyes. "Because if you can't face my uncle, we should delay your meeting. I don't want you breaking down in front of him. It wouldn't help our case much."

Sakura considered this question for a moment. His arm was still wrapped snugly around her shoulders, his hand warm on her hip, and the feeling of his heart beating against her back and the smooth ends of his long hair tickling her face made her want to push him away.

_Are you still nervous?_

"I can take on an old Hyuuga codger," Sakura said in a prideful voice after a moment, unwrapping herself from his hold and putting her hands on her hips. "I can take on _anyone_… especially your uncle. I'll be as sweet and demure and weak as I need to be, and he won't suspect a thing."

"Good," Neji said. Without another word, he grabbed his coat from her bed. "You're not that bad at dancing, you know. Much better than you are at the whole genteel act."

Sakura said nothing, but she rather viciously flipped her middle finger towards him as a response.

Chuckling so quietly only he could hear, Neji left the room, the waltz still echoing in his ears. "Come to the Hyuuga estate later tonight, Haruno, and you can pick out a dress from one of the closets."

He thought he heard her say something about just where he could stick his closets before he shut the door.

And came face-to-face with Sakura's tall, blonde roommate.

"Naruto," Neji said.

"Neji." Was there a glint of a threat in those guileless blue eyes? He thought he must have imagined it, though, because next thing he knew Naruto was clapping him on the back and chattering to him enthusiastically about nothing. "So I hear you're taking Sakura-chan to the ball tomorrow? Don't worry, I know all about your little 'project'. How's it going?"

"Ah… it's doing okay so far, but she hasn't had the chance to find anything out yet. She's meeting Hiashi tomorrow at the ball."

"That old asshole? Oh, man. That'll be a good show." Naruto grinned and hesitated before asking his next question. "How's, um… how's your cousin? You know… Hinata? How's she doing?"

Neji found himself slightly amused at this as they stopped at the door. "She's doing fine. Looking forward to going to the ball with you, actually."

"Oh… that's good," Naruto said casually, but he was betrayed by the crimson blush that spread across his cheeks.

"I'll see you later, then," Neji said, opening the door.

"Right, see you. Hey Neji?"

The Hyuuga Branch Leader turned around, one foot out of the apartment. "Aa?"

Naruto had an uncharacteristically serious look on his face; the boyish embarrassment at the mention of Hinata was gone, and replaced by the same sliver of a threat in his eyes. "Take care of Sakura-chan, ne?"

For some inexplicable reason, Neji stiffened; he felt his eyes narrow imperceptibly, and he felt an urge to run out of the apartment.

"She's a strong woman, Naruto," he said, his voice and face turned stoic as always, "I'm sure she can take care of herself."

---

"Okay, so you weren't kidding when you said you had closets-full," Sakura said a little weakly, standing in the middle of a room devoted entirely to housing old fancy clothes. "My god, your family's messed up."

"That's what we're trying to prove, isn't it?" Neji said flatly. "Look through 'em, pick out the one you want. Nobody ever uses them, I don't know why they're even still here."

Sakura shook her head. "They're all so big and… poofy. I know you said these were old, but I didn't think you meant Victorian Era old."

He sighed a bit irritably and leaned against the wall behind where Sakura was standing. "They're not… like I told you before, elite women like to put on airs. Some of these are probably worth more than your paycheck. I know for a fact two are worth more than mine."

"That doesn't help the fact that they're so frilly. Is there anything modern in this super-mall?"

"Just look around," Neji demanded her, annoyed at her incessant complaints. "You'll find something."

Sakura turned away from him and scowled ferociously at the dresses in front of her. That afternoon, he'd been… well, not exactly kind, per se, but less of a jackass than usual. And now he had reverted back to his jerk self. What was with this guy, anyway?

Neji watched her as she flicked through the gowns; tens of thousands of dollars, some of them, and she was treating them like dirt! Granted, the one with the bright yellow lace was pretty hideous, but it would cost him more than the exorbitant amount of money it was worth if she ruined it in some way.

"Handle them carefully," he told her, and was rewarded only with a small glare, a 'what-the-hell-is-your-problem-you-jerk' kind of look that he'd received from her many times before.

For the first time, Neji felt a bit foolish. What was he doing, getting so upset over the way she handled these dresses? Nobody used them, nobody cared about them. They were in the Branch House storerooms for a reason. So why was he feeling so uptight?

It had been that way ever since he'd left Sakura's apartment earlier that day, he realized suddenly. His fists tightened their grip a bit. Since what Naruto had said to him. _Take care of Sakura-chan, ne?_ Like hell. If he showed her the slightest bit of pity or compassion, she'd completely blow him off. And for what's more, he had no wish to take care of 'Sakura-chan'… why would he? She was rude. She was garish. She was loud and obnoxious and everything he wasn't, everything he had been taught to despise in a woman. But it wasn't that that burned him up so much… no, it was Naruto implying that he, Neji, would actually _want_ to watch over Sakura. What had he ever done that had made it seem like he cared for her in the slightest bit? She was an excellent journalist necessary for this article to be written. That was all.

"Holy hell!"

Neji looked up from his contemplation a little irritably. "What?"

Sakura turned around to see him, and her face was rapturous. "Look at this _dress_! It's gorgeous, it's perfect, it's… god, Neji-san, words can't even describe this thing!"

He tilted his head a bit in order to get a look at it from a different angle. Maybe it was a girl thing; he didn't see anything unusual about the dress, except that…

"You can't wear that," he said abruptly, crossing his arms.

She looked rather taken aback; after his uncaring attitude throughout her whole search, he had the gall to refuse her what he had offered only hours ago? Unable to put this into words, she managed only a puzzled, slightly miffed: "What?"

"You can't wear it. Not that one."

He frowned as Sakura raised a slim pink eyebrow. "Why not? What's wrong with it?" She spread the skirt across her legs. "Is it not fancy enough or something?"

Neji hesitated. "It's… I… I don't like that one," he finished lamely, and didn't blame Sakura for snorting.

"And now you're a fashion expert?" she scoffed, walking towards him. "Come on, you know it's perfect."

He felt like a little kid refusing to let someone borrow his toy-- childish and prideful. "No, it's not. Put it back and get another one."

"Neji-san," Sakura said, exasperated and getting a little angry, "I've looked through all of these goddamn closets and _this_ is the only one I've found." She held it up with one hand, thrusting it in his face. "Not only is it frill-and-lace-free, it's absolutely gorgeous. And you're telling me I can't use it for this one dance… this one dance that's crucial to the article? You haven't even seen it on me!"

"Haruno, I can't stress it any more than I have already," he thundered angrily, grabbing her wrist as if to keep her from running away with it. "You just can't wear that dress!"

"And why the _hell_ not, Hyuuga?" she demanded stubbornly, jerking her hand from his tight grip. "Give me a reason. I swear, if it's reasonable I'll put it right back and wear something pink and frilly-- but if this is just you being a stubborn, pompous jerk, I'm not going to take it!"

Neji seemed to be fighting with something in his head… he gave a little growl of anger before mirroring her glare, bending down to her eye level, and hissing, "Because it was my _mother's_."

Sakura looked nonplussed. "It's your mom's? That's it?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Are you serious? Let's just go ask her, then, and we won't have to argue about it anymore. Where is she?"

Neji felt like ripping her to pieces; slowly, painfully, so that she felt every stab of the knives that were buried in his heart. He wanted to tear out those pink locks and shake those pale shoulders and throw her across the room just so she could understand how much pain it gave him to hear her throw around the subject of his mother so frivolously.

"On the grounds," he said.

Sakura gave him a 'duh' look. "Then let's go get her!"

"On the grounds… _under_ the grounds," he said quietly, deliberately stressing every word.

"Under the--" Sakura frowned for a moment before realization crashed in. Sympathy settled on her face like heavy weights, pulling down her mouth, her eyes bright with anger, her cheeks red in annoyance. The arm with the dress dropped down limply, so that the material folded lightly on the floor. "Oh… Neji-san… I didn't… I mean… I'm so, so sorry…"

He said nothing, only watched her face burn in shame and her fingers play with the hanger.

"I just… I didn't know, no one told me," she said hastily, trying to repair her most grievous error, trying to win back his snappy retorts from this sad, pitiful visage. "Here," she finished weakly, handing him the dress. "I'll go look for something else."

Neji grasped the hanger as she walked back towards the closets, running a hand through her short, light hair. His mother had had long, dark hair, so long it had reached her lower back when she'd let it down from the tight bun Hyuuga regulations had kept it in. She'd let him play with it-- tie bows in it, comb it, twist it into fantabulous styles that she said looked wonderful and that actually looked completely ridiculous.

He had a picture of her and her father, and in this picture she'd been wearing this dress. She had looked beautiful in it, with her dark hair in a pretty bun and pearls hanging from her ears and white slender neck.

The fabric was soft.

"Haruno," Neji said, but the word caught in his throat and came out as a whisper. "Haruno," he called again, and this time Sakura heard; she turned around and saw him holding out the dress to her, his face emotionless as usual but his eyes with a little sadness around the edges.

"Yeah?"

"You can wear it," he said after a moment, as if clarifying it for himself. "Try it on now so we know it fits."

"Where's a--"

"Third door on your right."

Sakura paused, then nodded and left the room. Neji waited for what seemed to be an endless amount of time… although what he was waiting for he couldn't say. Finally, Sakura reentered the room, clad in his mother's dress.

It was a beautiful gown, he decided, keeping his eyes from Sakura's face as she smoothed it out. It hugged her breasts but then swooped out in what he thought was called an A-line… it was a sleeveless midnight-blue shift made of silk with a sparkling black train, and it looked surprisingly good. For a moment, he chanced a glance at his partner's face.

He was surprised to find that Sakura looked incredibly nervous. She was fidgeting with the train and pushing back her hair and… she just overall looked anxious, as if she was sure she was doing something wrong. "I'll need heels," she said softly, holding up the skirt that pooled around her feet.

"Yeah," he replied slowly. "She was taller than you."

"That's not hard," Sakura said with a small laugh, and she looked him in the eye.

It was, so far, the friendliest they had ever acted towards each other.

Neji regained his usual smirk in about a split second, though, and the amiable moment was over. "Evidently."

Half relieved at his change back to the snappy, jackass Hyuuga she knew, Sakura stuck her tongue out at him. "So… I take it this is okay?"

"Yeah," Neji decided, "it's fine."

Sakura grinned cheekily and marched back to the bathroom to change… when she got back, he was still there, waiting for her. "I'll pick you up at seven-thirty tomorrow, then," he told her commandingly. "Please don't do the usual pre-date thing women do… you know, 'just one moment, I have to spend an hour and a half on my makeup' and all that."

The pink-haired journalist laughed at that. "Oh, so we've started using 'please'? How very polite of you."

"Mm. Most of us don't struggle so much with etiquette, you know… unlike some I could name."

"I know, Naruto's, like, a total pig sometimes!" Sakura said in mock agreement, nodding at him rather superficially.

"So now you've switched to valley girl mode? Charming."

Sakura gave him a small smile as she slid open the door; cold autumn air blew into the room, filled the gap between their bodies. "I'm a very diverse person, Neji-san. See you tomorrow."

"Under no circumstances should you keep me waiting, Haruno. I'll go without you," he warned as she walked out onto the lawn.

She laughed at him and did a little spin on the grass so she faced him. "Like hell you would," she said dryly; she grinned without knowing exactly why and marched purposefully out of the estate, fully intent on getting her first good night's sleep in a week.

---

Sakura felt, to put it simply… _good_ the next morning; she had woken up refreshed, taken a long shower, dressed, and still had had time for a whole bagel and shmear (which felt lots better on her stomach than her regulation two cups of coffee) before driving to the office only fifteen minutes after Naruto and Sai woke up.

Now starting her second cup of tea (she had to break that caffeine semi-addiction somehow), Sakura had already finished editing a report and was well on her way to finishing her small article for next week's issue. Also, not only did she have a dress (and a 'date') for the charity ball that evening, she had arranged her makeup and hair products in chronological order of use the night before. She was unusually on top of things, and gosh darn it, it was going to stay that way.

But when Hinata came in looking nervous enough to run into the next country, it all came tumbling down like a house of cards hit by an atomic bomb.

The shy woman was now closing the door behind her. She turned and stuttered out a greeting, shifting her weight from one leg to the other in an anxious little dance. "G-good morning, S-Sakura."

It took effort to stifle a groan. This did not bode well.

Sakura gave her friend a bright smile that would have put Naruto to shame. "Morning, Hinata. How are you doing? Looking forward to the charity ball tonight?" _Looking forward to Naruto?_ she almost asked, but refrained; one had to be gentle when Hinata was in such a state. One mention of Sakura's blonde roommate and the poor girl might keel over in a dead faint-- it had been know to happen.

Hinata blushed deep red (Sakura suspected she guessed at the sentence she'd refrained from saying) and nodded. "Yes, I am. A lot." She coughed, and her face turned-- if it was even possible-- still more crimson.

Sakura fought the urge to laugh and instead swiveled her chair to face her dark-haired friend. "Go on, sit down. You don't have to stand up all the time for me, I'm not that important." She gave an easy smile and was rewarded with a giggle of sorts.

"I was j-just wondering…" Hinata scratched her head and giggled again. "Who are you going with?"

Oh, so _that_ was it.

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. "Your cousin. Neji." She raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Didn't you know already?"

Hinata gave a little squeak. "I was j-just wondering!"

Sakura narrowed her eyes slightly and leaned towards her, putting her elbows on the desk. "Did your uncle tell you to ask me?"

Hinata's nervousness seemed to increase tenfold; she looked almost like she was about to cry. "Well, y-yes, he did, but I… I just…"

Immediately Sakura shook her head and frowned to herself-- she was stupid, _stupid_ to make Hinata so upset! "I'm sorry," said the pink-haired woman, putting a hand on Hinata's shaking arm across the desk. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. I understand. He commanded and you obeyed. Neji explained. It's…" she scowled and withdrew her hand. "It's just the way you were raised."

"I don't like this undercover work!" Hinata burst out suddenly, tears gathering at the corners of those creamy eyes. Sakura looked taken aback, but Hinata pressed on. "I don't like having to lie to my father, Sakura-- and I don't like this, this… this possibility of anyone I love getting harmed!"

_She didn't stutter at all just then_, Sakura thought numbly, and found that it was all she could really take in at the moment. She had never seen her friend so passionate, so violent. But Hinata continued.

"I don't want to know about anything horrible he does, okay? I don't want this. I didn't ask to be part of your little… your little _scheme_!"

Sakura's eyes were wide. "Hinata, all we asked of you was to tell your uncle that Neji and I were dating--"

"-- which is a _lie_, a complete lie!" Hinata yelled, then stopped, looking shocked at herself, and hiccupped a bit. "I don't like lying. I want you to st-stop. Whatever the t-two of you are d-d-doing."

Sakura sat back in her chair, amazed at the girl's demand. Her voice had a bit of her father's it in just then, a bit of Neji's, too… the commanding nature in her blood had burst through and the poor girl looked thoroughly frightened by it.

"Hinata," she started softly, "I can't stop this b-"

Hinata let out a loud whimper of sorts, and Sakura thrust her a Kleenex.

"I can't stop this," she said again, louder, "because I didn't start it in the first place. This is a job for me, and I intend to go through with it until your cousin says to stop. You're my friend, Hinata, and I care for you a lot, but I can't simply give up because you want me to, because _you_ are afraid. And I mean that in the… in the kindest, most respectful way possible."

Hinata sighed and pressed the Kleenex to her eyes. "I th-thought you'd say that. You and N-Naruto-kun are s-so much alike." There was a watery smile there, and Sakura was thankful for it. "B-but I can't stop helping my f-father… you understand that, don't you?"

Frankly, Sakura didn't. How could you help or defend such a chauvinist, ruthless pig… even if he was a blood relation? But Hinata had been taught to have no backbone. Hinata had been raised to submit to male Main House authority. "Not really," she told her bluntly, and then regretted it at once.

Hinata stiffened a little at that; she straightened in her chair as a flash of hurt and mild betrayal flashed in those pale lavender eyes. "R-right." She stood up and walked to the door quickly; so hastily, in fact, that Sakura felt a little guilty. "Have a good day, Sakura."

"You too," Sakura called after her, but the door had closed quietly before she'd even had a chance to form the words.

The journalist stared at the closed door for a long moment before giving a rough growl and slapping her hand down on a pile of papers. She put another hand to the top of her head and leaned on her elbow, rubbing on her forehead as if trying to rub out her thoughts.

She supposed that her day had _started_ well, at least.

---

Neji had to admit (privately, anyway) that his mother's dress looked good on Sakura. It was rather astonishing to see this woman-- a woman who he doubted even owned a skirt-- all decked out like this. The dark purplish-blue was a good color for her, and the fit was perfect even if his mother had been a bit taller. Sakura had made her hair wavy, so that the layers that hung down from her loose bun framed her face, and she seemed to be wearing a little makeup on her eyes. The overall effect was, he found, quite pleasant.

Not like he was going to tell _her_ that, of course.

The charity ball was located in a large building a street away from Konoha, Inc.'s offices. It was a formal location with a receiving room, a gigantic ballroom, and various smaller rooms, door-less, that branched out from the ballroom. Every wall of the ballroom itself was covered in mirrors to reflect the candlelight given off of the three gleaming crystal chandeliers, and the mahogany floor was draped with a thin red and gold carpet. The smaller rooms were done in the same style but without mirrors; they had green and gold wallpaper instead, and were decorated with tiny tables and chairs for people to sit and eat.

Neji took Sakura's arm rather forcefully, for she seemed loathe to touch him at all after the silent car ride, and showed their tickets to an older man with long white hair whom Sakura greeted as Jiraiya. The man glanced at the tickets and nodded, giving Sakura a wink and a tap on the bottom that Neji found more than a little irksome and Sakura found both amusing and thoroughly disgusting; she turned full around and stamped on the man's foot before twisting elegantly back into Neji's arm, ignoring Jiraiya's whimpers of pain.

"You might," Sakura whispered to him rather irritably as they entered the ballroom together, "tell me I look nice. I did this for you, remember?"

Neji raised an eyebrow. "I was under the impression that you didn't want to come at all."

She gave him a wicked slice of a grin. "Not necessarily. Just not with you."

"You wound me, Sakura-san."

"Oh, good. Mission accomplished, then." As Neji sighed and muttered something about why fate hated him, Sakura stifled a giggle. She didn't know why she felt like being so mean to Neji this evening. Probably a combination of Hinata's visit earlier, her dancing lessons with him from the day before, the fact that she was wearing a gown (no matter how beautiful it was) and the pain her feet were already experiencing in these god-awful silver heels…

"Sakura! Neji-san!"

Neji and Sakura both turned at the sound of Tsunade's commanding voice; the editor-in-chief was marching towards them purposefully in her black heels, wearing a black gown with long sleeves that was suspiciously low-cut. She fixed her hazel eyes on Sakura first. "You didn't tell me you were bringing Neji-san."

"It was his idea," Sakura told her mentor. "This way I get introduced to Hiashi before I'm formally presented to his family this week, and it gives me a way to get a glimpse of his character, maybe ask some questions."

Tsunade pondered this for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip. "Mm," she said at last, nodding, "that's a very good idea, Neji-san. But I recommend waiting to ask questions until after a couple rounds of drinks."

Neji rolled his eyes a little. "My uncle doesn't get drunk."

"Maybe so, but there's always a chance he'll let something slip. There's no reversing the effect alcohol has on the mind," Tsunade countered cheerfully.

"You'd know," Sakura muttered with a grin.

Tsunade aimed a piercing glare at her student and employee before letting a small smile cross her lips and a hearty laugh leave her chest. "I'll leave you two alone, then," she said. "Try to _act_ like you like each other, won't you? You're too rigid. Relax a bit. Have some champagne. _Dance_, for god's sake. This is a party!"

Neji couldn't help but grin a little at the busty woman's attitude. "We _should_ dance," he said a bit reluctantly, gesturing towards the dozens of couples whirling in each others arms as a silver-jacketed band played a waltz from a podium. "Unless you want to feel like a wallflower."

Sakura laughed. "I guess I can stand being with you for a song or two," she said, suddenly happy again.

_It's so strange, the way she changes moods so quickly_, Neji thought with amusement as they joined hands in the way he'd taught her earlier. _Biting and cold one minute, then sassy and sarcastic the next, and then she's all kind and happy._ But at the same time, he reflected as they started dancing, he'd seen her act perfectly normal around Naruto and Tsunade and the like; it was like she was trying to make up her mind for him, Neji… trying to decide whether or not she liked him, if he was going to become her friend or her enemy.

They twirled with the rest of them, and Sakura was struck with the rather melancholy beauty of the scene. Yellows, reds, blues, purples, pinks, greens all flared out as gowns swished around women's ankles; the scents of perfumes and colognes rushed past her as she and Neji waltzed. Women dripped with jewels and the air of extravagance; men with their deep voices smiled and laughed at something that wasn't really funny. She spotted TenTen in a dark red dress dancing with an exuberant Lee, Hinata in white going off to a separate room with Naruto, who was babbling as always; she saw Sai being bothered by Ino to dance and poor Chouji looking hurt by it, and Shikamaru being interrogated by Gaara and his brother Kankurou while Temari looked on, barely stifling laughter. People she knew and people she didn't spun in and out of focus, glittering like stars.

"What are you thinking?"

Sakura looked up at Neji's voice; he was looking down at her with a rather amused expression. "You seem preoccupied," he explained, letting to of her waist so that she could spin out.

Sakura spun back in and joined hands with him again, holding up the filmy, spangled black train of her dress so that she didn't trip on it. "It's very pretty here, that's all."

Neji looked around himself. "I suppose. In a fake kind of way."

Sakura felt a bit shocked at this. "You don't like it?"

"Like what?"

"The balls, the parties, the drinks, the…" She looked around. "I don't know… the women?"

Neji laughed; actually laughed, and the first time she'd ever heard a full-blown happy laugh come from his mouth. "You're naïve," he told her, not unkindly. "The balls and the parties are nothing if you have to act as a servant at almost every one. The drinks you can get anyway. And the women are either snobs or sluts or both."

Sakura cracked a smile. "I hope that wasn't referring to me."

"Well, you might be snobbish in your own way, but you're certainly not a slut."

"I think the word is 'prideful', not 'snobbish'," she defended. "But thank you."

"Thank you for what? All I said was the truth."

Sakura twirled in and out as the dance ended… people clapped their appreciation. "Which is more than a lot of people would say," she said pointedly, and Neji gave a rare smile as the band struck up another song… a faster polka, or something like that, Sakura wasn't sure.

"Aa," he said. "Would you care to dance again?"

Slightly surprised, she nodded. "Yeah, sure--"

"Sorry, Neji," said a boisterous voice, and Sakura turned to see Naruto standing next to them, "I think I'm going to cut in. Is that okay?"

Neji raised an eyebrow. "Certainly. I'll dance with my cousin and tell her to stay far away from you."

Naruto laughed. "You'd better not. Come on, Sakura-chan… dance with me?"

"Sure," Sakura said, chuckling a bit, and Naruto pulled her away. "I didn't know you knew how to dance, Naruto."

"Ah, Sakura-chan, I'm a man of many surprises," he said solemnly before breaking into another bout of laughter. "But I'm happy, Sakura-chan, really happy."

"Why?" His cheer was hard to stand without breaking out into a smile herself.

Naruto gave a foolish little grin. "Hinata. She's so pretty tonight, don't you think?"

Sakura let out a little laugh. "You're such a kid."

"So, have you met the old geezer yet?" he asked, changing the topic swiftly as he lifted Sakura up into the air and set her back down again.

"No," she answered, a little breathless from the dance, "I haven't. Tsunade told me to wait till he has a couple drinks."

"She'd know!"

"That's what I said!"

The two roommates laughed with each other, drawing the attention of some of the nearest dancers. Sakura hurriedly shushed him, still smiling. "We're so unfit for this kind of thing," she said.

Naruto grinned at her as the dance ended. "I've got to go rescue Hinata from Neji before he starts telling her lies about me," he said with a grin. "Come with me?"

"Thanks, I think I'm going to get a drink," she said. "I'm a little thirsty after dancing in these heels… it's harder than you'd think."

"Alright. I'll see you later, Sakura-chan." Naruto bent down and kissed her on the cheek before wading through the crowd of clapping people to find his girl.

Sakura watched him go, shaking her head, before walking to the back of the room to get some of the punch that Izumo and Kotetsu, Tsunade's two office boys, were ladling into sparkling glasses. The pink drink was almost too sweet for her taste, but it was obviously spiked and she felt like she needed the alcohol. She stood there sipping it for a while, watching the dancers go, trying to spot people she knew. She had yet to spot Neji or Naruto or Hinata again, but they were probably on the other side of the ballroom.

_It's probably about time I reunited with the Ice King_, she thought reluctantly, giving her empty glass to Kotetsu. Though she had to admit he hadn't been completely unbearable so far.

She had just taken a few steps forward when a heavy hand descended on her shoulder, giving her two hard taps. "Haruno Sakura?"

She turned around quickly at the pressure and her name. "Ye-?"

_Great._

Hyuuga Hiashi stood in front of her, smiling disdainfully at her. "My name is Hyuuga Hiashi," he said, and waited until she bowed accordingly before dipping his head to her and continuing. "I'd like to speak with you. Could you follow me, please?"

Sakura nodded mutely and followed him around the ballroom until he stepped into one of the smaller adjoining rooms. He sat at a table and beckoned for her to follow; anxiously, Sakura looked behind her towards the dancers, for once wishing that Neji would pop up and save her… but no luck. Sighing as if she was going into her execution, Sakura squared her shoulders, clenched her fists, and walked straight into her interrogation.

---

Author's Note: Sorry for this chapter taking so long, guys… but between finals and Christmas, it's been hard to update. I hope you liked this chapter… I know I liked writing it. It was fun. Watch out for the next one; you'll see a little more of Hiashi and Sakura, a lot more NejiSaku interaction, and my personal favorite part… a SWING DACING SCENE!

Whoot!

Reviews are, as always, very much appreciated.


	5. Dancing in the Sand

**The Brighter Side of Chaos**

---

V: Dancing in the Sand

_Being Young and Green, I said in love's despite:  
Never in the world will I to living wight  
Give over, air my mind  
To anyone,  
Hang out its ancient secrets in the strong wind  
To be shredded and faded—Oh, me, invaded  
And sacked by the wind and the sun!_

_--Edna St. Vincent Millay_

---

Sakura tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously as Hiashi looked her up and down; his gaze was appraising, as if he was sizing her up to see just how much of a threat she could be, how hard he would have to interrogate her. Apparently she didn't look too horrible, for he walked into the room without a word. His gait was smooth, and she wondered why he used a cane.

"I understand you've been dating my nephew for a while now?" Hiashi asked without prelude, gesturing for her to sit down.

Sakura sat and nodded rather woodenly before reminding herself that she had to relax and started to breathe again. "Yes," she elaborated, "I am. For a couple months now."

"Mm." The older man nodded and tapped his cane on the floor as if reprimanding it. "And how did you two come to meet?"

Slightly relaxed now, Sakura retold the story she'd spun off on TenTen: Neji and Naruto were sparring, Neji had been hit hard, Sakura had treated him, and voila! true love, or something like it, had bloomed like a flower in the sun.

"You hold a position at Konoha Magazine?" was his next question, and Sakura nodded, slightly relieved that he'd delved into her workplace, something she knew like the back of her hand.

"Yes, I'm an investigative columnist. I find a story, or there's something in the news or happening in the world that catches my eye-- and I write about it, subjectively or objectively in respect to the topic." Hiashi made no indication that he was impressed or otherwise; instead he tapped his cane once more and motioned to Kotetsu from across the room. Kotetsu left and came back with two glasses of champagne, giving one to each of them. Hiashi took it from him rather disdainfully. "Thanks," Sakura said to Kotetsu, and he grinned at her gratefully before leaving the room once more.

"What are you working on now?" asked Hiashi with the manner of someone well bored with the conversation.

A bit miffed at his indifference, Sakura squared her shoulders and took a sip of champagne. "I've just finished a report on women's rights; its history, its current status, and what it will become in the future."

Hiashi looked straight at her for the first time. "You consider yourself a feminist?"

At once, Sakura realized her mistake and bowed her head slightly in order to panic without being seen. _Too late to take it back_, she thought hastily, and raised her eyes once more. "Yeah, I suppose so," she answered lightly, giving the kind of girlish giggle she heard around her female colleagues that usually made her roll her eyes.

Hiashi's gaze was steely; those Hyuuga eyes seemed to delve under her skin and extract the truth from under it. "I do hope that you respect your betters, Haruno-san," he said gravely. "Nothing good can come from not doing so."

Sakura nodded as the butterflies in her stomach fluttered anxiously. "I do, sir, very much. I was raised to respect my- my betters."

"Including men, no doubt," Hiashi said in a tone that was meant to be jovial.

The butterflies in her stomach fluttered into her throat as she choked on her words, spitting them out like something disgusting. "Of course."

"I misunderstood you, Haruno-san," Hiashi said with a smile that was more like a grimace. "For a while I thought you would be like your editor-in-chief; ridiculously proud, always thinking you're better than anyone else. I'm happy to say that you've disproved all my former notions of arrogance; you're quite a delightful young woman."

Sakura could hardly believe what she was hearing; he had approved of her after only five minutes of conversation?

"However," he was saying sternly, and she forced herself to pay attention, "I will keep my eyes on you, Haruno-san. I care deeply for my nephew- I have, after all, taken care of him since his father died years ago. He has grown up in my care, and Haruno-san, I shall not let him get hurt. Do you understand?"

"I understand," she said, but Sakura was puzzled. _I care deeply for my nephew_? This monster cared for Neji? Impossible. And if he did, why was she even doing this in the first place? Exposing his uncle seemed a poor payback for Hiashi taking him in after his father's death.

"I look forward to seeing you at the Hyuuga gathering this week," Hiashi said, breaking her out of her reverie. "Enjoy yourself."

"R-right," she blurted out as she stood, still a little shocked at the haste of his approval. "It was nice to meet you."

As he returned the compliment, Sakura caught something in Hiashi's eyes that he had undoubtedly thought she wouldn't; it was a glimmer of something as his eyes pierced her own and he waited for her to bow subserviently. He was _studying_ her, the bastard, and he didn't trust her or like her at all. He was only pretending in order to make her feel comfortable.

_As if I could._

Sakura watched as he left the room and crossed the ballroom, cutting a swath through the dancers like scissors through paper. A bit weakly, she sank into her chair once more and stared numbly at her flute of champagne. The bubbles rose to the surface and burst, and the pale yellow of the drink made the dancers behind it appear sunlit. When she moved the glass, however, the full color and vibrancy of the scene came back, and the room was once again lit with the false light of the chandeliers.

The columnist sighed and drained the entire glass of champagne, feeling that now more than ever was a good time to be drinking.

---

Neji was having a hard time navigating around the crowds of people in the ballroom.

He cut straight through a group of giggling young women who purred at him with sultry eyes and curved mouths, then skirted around a circle of laughing, jovial middle-aged men with cigars clamped in their mouths and brandies in their hands. He felt inexplicably nervous. Where was Sakura? After cutting in, Naruto had informed him that she had gone to get a drink, but she wasn't at the punch table. In fact, he'd asked several friends of hers if they'd seen her, but their replies had all been negative.

_I bet she left_, he thought irritably, fighting his way through swirling skirts as the band struck up a jazzy tune. If she had indeed left the ball, left him alone with these society matrons and twittering women, he would have to have words with her tomorrow, and it would be her own fault if those words turned out to be profane.

"Neji."

The cold, familiar voice stopped Neji in his tracks, and he pivoted on his heel, bowing slightly to his uncle's tall form. "Hiashi-sama. How are you this evening?"

"Well enough." Neji raised his head and saw with extreme displeasure that his uncle was smirking nastily. What had he done? "I had the pleasure of meeting your pink-haired companion just a few moments ago. What a delightful young woman she is, Neji. I commend you."

_He must be joking._ The younger man looked at Hiashi and saw that yes, he actually was being facetious, for there was a warning in those pale eyes so like his own. "Arigatou, Hiashi-sama," Neji replied in a low voice, shaking it off. "I wonder if you could tell me where she is now?"

"Neji, Neji," said Hiashi, clucking his tongue in faux-concern, "it's dangerous to lose sight of your lady in a crowded ballroom like this. But I believe she is still in the room in which I spoke to her." With his cane, he pointed towards a small room branching off from the grand ballroom. "Give her my regards."

"Of course, Hiashi-sama. Arigatou." Cringing inwardly at his own servility, Neji ducked past Hiashi's companions and made a beeline straight for the indicated room. Sure enough, there was Sakura, sitting at the table slightly dumbfounded with an empty glass of champagne in her hand. He approached quietly and watched as she frowned, set the glass down, and stood up slowly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He waited until she let out a small sigh before clearing his throat and speaking up. "Did he give you a rough time?"

She turned around hastily at the sound of another person's voice, and her face relaxed slightly when she saw it was Neji-- something that surprised him immensely, but he supposed that compared to his uncle, _anyone_ could make her feel relief. Sakura gave a small 'ha' at his question. "No, he was perfectly civil, actually," she answered. "But civil in the way that makes you want to get very, very drunk."

"I can see that." Neji gestured to the emptied champagne flute. "What did he ask you, though?"

"Oh, just about my work, and how and when we met-- which is a couple months ago, by the way-- and what I was working on now…" She gave another mirthless laugh. "I made the mistake of telling him that I just finished a piece on women's rights."

Neji groaned and smiled at the same time; for some reason, this struck him as humorous. "And what was his reaction?"

"He asked if, being a feminist, I still bowed down to my superiors. Which, of course, included men." She gave a wry smile. "I said yes. Which totally goes against everything I stand for, but for your sake I said yes."

"Well, thank you for that," the dark-haired man said lightly. "Come on. You can't stay in here the entire time or he'll think he's won."

Sakura's laugh was more real this time. "Ha! As if. He's about as far from winning this as you are from being a real human being."

"What makes you think I'm not a real human being?"

"Your lack of emotion is astounding," she said with a grin, taking his arm and pretending to smile up at him lovingly as they walked back into the fray. "Maybe I should use my superior medical expertise to open you up and make sure you're muscle and bone under there and not just metal and computer chips."

Neji smirked at her. "That's very unladylike of you."

"Isn't it? If I were a man, I would punch that smirk off your face."

"You're _not_ a man?" he asked in mock-puzzlement. "That's something new."

But Sakura, he realized, rarely missed a beat. "I know you're disappointed, Neji," she said with a small shake of her head, "and I feel completely responsible. How should we cheer you up? I know! After this, I'll take you to a gay bar."

To her surprise, Neji let out a small chuckle. "I have to give you credit for that. It was a good one."

Sakura smiled. "I try."

"By the way, my uncle sends his regards."

"Oh, he misses me already?" Sakura snorted. "Tell him to take his regards and shove them up his- is this a swing dance?" She looked him in the eye, grinning madly. "Please?"

Neji looked at her, nonplussed, before what she was asking dawned on him. "No, I've done enough dancing, thanks," he said.

"Neji, I love swing dancing! And I know you know how. Please?"

"No," he said flatly, but she was already tying her dress so it was above the knee. "No, no, no!"

Sakura, however, wouldn't have that; she grabbed his wrist and forced him into the melee of dancers. The ones who didn't know how to swing dance were cheek-to-cheek, rocking back and forth to a fast beat; very few were actually doing a real dance.

The music was fast, and Neji found himself suddenly cheek-to-cheek with Sakura as they danced to the music. "I really hate you," Neji whispered, and Sakura only grinned.

"I know."

Neji turned her around so that her back was to him; they both crouched slightly and started moving their feet in tandem, kicking out and back, turning left to right in perfect unison. A crowd was starting to gather around them, and dimly he heard TenTen cheer; Lee joined in with a rousing chant of 'youth!'.

Suddenly, Sakura turned her head towards him; he saw a mischievous grin on her face. "Show me just how much," she said saucily, and he felt her arm muscles tighten; when she jumped into the air, doing a split, he was ready and kicked so that it looked he was kicking her out. He heard Naruto cheer, and people were clapping to the beat. They went back to dancing in unison for a moment until Neji leaned back; Sakura, laughing, used his arms to propel herself into a flip. She put her hands on her knees and Neji knew what to do; he lifted himself using her shoulders, doing a leap-frog maneuver over her head. He watched from behind him; Sakura kicked out her leg at him, so he fell to the ground, pantomiming being hit.

He glanced behind him again, and Sakura jumped at him, curling her legs around his waist as if in a fight; in retaliation, he grabbed her shoulders and flipped her over, and they started dancing again, facing each other this time, hands together. They danced rapidly, letting go with one hand so Sakura could spin or kick out and then joining back together again, spinning across the dance floor. There was a loud crowd around them now, everyone was watching them dance, and cheers rocked the ballroom.

Neji grabbed her waist and she grabbed his and they spun together like Whirling Dervishes, clearing a path through the ballroom. Neji let go and Sakura twirled out to slow herself; when she steadied, he was on his knees, and she cartwheeled over his head without a second thought. On her back from the cartwheel, she forced her legs up and Neji flipped her over his head.

They danced side-by-side now, in unison, not even looking at the cheering and clapping crowd but at each other. Neji saw that Sakura's face was flushed, she was breathing hard, but her eyes glittered; he knew that he was smiling, too. As the song reached its end, he danced towards her, grabbed her by the waist, and flung her around his back. He grabbed her legs and swung her so she was in bridal position, then flipped her over his arm and grabbed her hand so she didn't fall.

They finished the dance in that position; grasping hands, the other hands flung out, their faces turned towards each other, their legs planted firmly on the dance floor.

Sakura knew her face was flushed, and she could feel her heart pounding like mad inside her chest. She was half afraid it would burst from her ribcage. The beautiful dress fell around her legs again, cool to the touch, and she laughed in sheer delight as the crowd continued to clap for them. Never had she been in the center of attention like this… and she was rather surprised to find that she quite liked it.

She glanced at Neji, and he was wearing his usual self-satisfied smirk… but his face was flushed, too, his chest heaving after the dance. His normally stoic face held something lighter in it, something happier. She walked up to him and gave him a smirk of her own. "You still hate me?"

"More than ever," he answered smoothly, and she grinned.

It might just become a good night after all.

---

Neji had been called away by some member of the Main House, and so Sakura was left to her own devices. Slightly confident that Hiashi would leave her alone for a while, she migrated to the drinks table once again, still panting from exertion as people congratulated her and complimented her on the dancing. She saw Naruto and Sai march towards Neji with glares on their faces from the corner of her eyes and smiled.

"That was _awesome_!"

Sakura turned around, a bit surprised, a glass of punch in her hand. "Wh- oh, arigatou," she said a bit bemusedly to a girl several years younger than her. She had long black hair that Sakura supposed was curled for the occasion and wore a yellow dress with sparkles at the bottom and matching makeup that looked far too old for her. She had the Hyuuga eyes and the Main House porcelain-pale skin, but the smug curl of her upper lip was all Hiashi. "I take it you're a Hyuuga, then?"

The girl flashed a smile that was more like a smirk. "Hyuuga Hanabi. I'm Neji's cousin and Hinata's little sister."

Sakura hadn't known Hinata had a sister. "Oh, well…" Sakura hastily switched her punch to her other hand and shook Hanabi's. "It's good to meet you, Hanabi-chan. I'm Haru-"

"Haruno Sakura, I know," she said a bit snottily, "and I prefer Hanabi-_san_, if you don't mind. Anyway, your dancing was fabulous. I had no idea cousin clumsy over there could dance."

Rather taken aback and more than little irritated by Hanabi's attitude, Sakura cleared her throat and took a sip of punch. "Neither did I," she said shortly, and then after remembering that she had to be nice to this girl, elaborated in a bit more polite of a tone: "I just kind of pulled him into it, and he was really good."

"Father says you two have been dating for a while now," Hanabi remarked without prelude. "D'you like Neji?"

"I hope so, otherwise I'd wonder why I'm dating him," Sakura answered with a grin, and Hanabi let out a raucous laugh.

"I like you, Sakura-san. How old are you?"

"Twenty-two," she answered, "and you?"

"Just seventeen," Hanabi answered with a small pout. "You're small, I thought you'd be closer to my age."

Sakura felt her eye twitch at the height crack. _Brat._ "Nope, I'm out of college and everything."

Hanabi sighed dramatically. "You have no idea how horrible it is, Sakura… no one important is my age! They're all twenty or older, and you know they only tolerate me because I'm Main House." She gave a little giggle. "I don't mind, though, because it makes them afraid of me, you know? Whatever I say, they agree with."

Sakura had a sudden urge to ask Hanabi if she used to rip the wings from butterflies. Instead, she asked a different question: "Who are 'they'?"

"Oh, them over there," Hanabi answered, pointing rudely towards a group of women in their twenties chatting and laughing with each other. They were all decked out in gowns more like wedding dresses than anything else, and they all wore more jewelry than Sakura had ever seen in one place. "All the high-society sluts that I have to hang out with. It's such a chore. But if you're going to keep dating Neji, I guess you have to get to know them. Come with me." Even with a protest on her lips, Hanabi pulled Sakura forcefully towards the group of giggling women.

"Everyone, this is Haruno Sakura," Hanabi announced, and Sakura sighed inwardly. The women in the circle all turned to scrutinize her, and in turn Sakura got a good look at all of them. The oldest was maybe twenty-seven and the youngest probably around eighteen or nineteen, and despite their one-of-a-kind gowns and different hairstyles and colors, they all looked somehow the same. They seemed to judge her passable, however, and one by one stepped up to introduce themselves. The first one was obviously the leader of the little gang; about twenty-five, Sakura guessed, and wearing an atrociously pink dress that could have served as a very big nightgown. She had the irritating luck to look marvelous in it.

"Tomoko Yoko," she said demurely, and Sakura snickered silently. _Her parents must have really hated her to give her that name._

"Takahashi Michiro."

"Sasaki Yuuka."

"Watanabe Cho."

"Arakaki Hide."

"Daishi Rei."

"Umehara Leiko. Your dancing was very good, Sakura-san."

There were murmurs of agreement around the circle, and Sakura smiled. "Oh, well, arigatou. How do you like the ball?"

"Oh, it's very nice," Watanabe Cho said, nodding her head like a chicken. "It's one of the nicest I've ever been to. Very grand."

"You must not have been to many good balls, then, Cho, dear," Yoko said in a friendly voice that made Sakura want to throttle her, and the gang giggled as poor Cho blushed red.

"No offence meant, Sakura-san," Hide said quickly, "since you work for Konoha Magazine, and all."

Sakura frowned. "How did you know that?"

"Oh, gossip travels quickly here," Rei said, folding her hands. Her red-painted fingernails exactly matched the color of her dress. "But we were surprised when we found out you've been dating Neji for a couple months now."

Yuuka nodded her blonde-dyed head. "Right. You guys certainly kept that underground for a while! It's very remarkable."

"Er… thanks," Sakura said with a weak smile.

"And the fact that you even got Neji to go out with you is extremely impressive!" Michiro piped in, and Sakura hated her voice at once; it was high and light and a bit whiny, like a fly buzzing in your ear that just wouldn't shut up. "I think we've all-- well, not you, Cho, or obviously you, Hanabi-- but the rest of us have all tried to date him, or at least hook up with him!"

"And you didn't succeed?" Sakura asked forcibly, gritting her teeth a bit in irritation… probably at her voice, though she wasn't completely sure that was it. _Some things are better left unsaid, Takahashi Michiro._

"No," said Yoko, "he was very cold. I'm so glad he didn't say yes, though… can you imagine the shame?"

The rest of the girls nodded-- "yes, it would have been horrible"-- and Sakura frowned. "Why? What's wrong with him?" At the lack of answer, Sakura sighed and continued. "Does he have some disease I should know about? Does he eat little children? Transform into a werewolf at the full moon? Use his salad fork to eat his steak? Point with his chopsticks?"

They looked at her dumbly; apparently humor was lost on this pack of Barbie dolls.

"No, dear," Leiko said slowly, as if speaking to someone with mental deficiency, "but he's _Branch House_. You know… inferior."

Sakura stole a look at Hanabi, but she was, incomprehensibly, nodding with the rest of them. His own cousin! "Is it bad to date someone from the Branch House?" she asked rather stiffly.

Yuuka laughed lightly and put a hand that was meant to reassure on Sakura's arm. "Not for _you_, Sakura-san, you're not high-society! It's perfectly fine for you to date him as long as you wish. Just not us."

"Yes," continued Hide as Sakura fumed (_high-society, my ass!_), "and if you're going to marry a Hyuuga, at least marry a Hyuuga from the Main House!"

They all laughed as if at some private joke, and Sakura forced herself to chuckle with them. Hanabi piped up now. "Yeah, and if my cousin gets exiled you're on your own, Sakura." They laughed again, but Sakura smelled a lead and pounced on it.

"Exiled? What do you mean?"

"Goodness, you haven't heard?" Yoko shook her head. "How uninformed you are, poor little girl."

Cho spoke up for the first time since she'd been shamed. "Branch House members are often exiled for being pretentious towards the Main House, isn't that right, Hanabi?" She seemed to have a taste for this kind of thing; Cho's face took on a new viciousness.

Hanabi nodded and acted superior. "Yes, but it hasn't happened in a while… we've finally managed to put the fear of the gods-- or the Main House-- in them."

Sakura fought down a smirk and a "Not quite!" and asked a new question instead. "Where do they go?"

Rei nodded. "That's a good question, isn't it?"

"Nobody knows," Yuuka added.

Sakura frowned and turned to Hanabi. "Not even you? Hiashi-sama is your father, isn't he?"

"Not like he tells us anything," the younger girl said snobbishly. "I just hear that they're gone. I don't even know the names of some of them, but then again, I don't really associate with those of a lower class. Except for you, now, Sakura-san, but I like you."

"Lovely." Sakura tugged at her dark blue dress. The women were moving on now, into conversations of outfits and makeup and balls to come, but Sakura walked up to Cho before she could join them. "Do you know much about these people in exile, Cho? You seemed as interested as I feel right now."

"It is fascinating, isn't it?" Cho said with a smile, exposing sharp little teeth. "It's a great example of what should happen everywhere, you know? The rebels rise up and, well… rebel, and they are immediately taken down."

Sakura looked at her in amazement, but Cho seemed to take this for agreement and Sakura ventured another question. "And no one knows who they are or where they go after exile?"

Cho smiled at her again and leaned in close. "You have to promise not to tell anyone."

"I promise."

"Well, I was with Hinata one day, walking around the grounds, and a Branch House servant came out and told her there was a call for her. Well, she left and I kept walking… I was right by Hyuuga Hiashi's offices when a man with Hyuuga eyes stumbled out, flanked by other Hyuugas wearing black. The man was being half-carried, and he was moaning something _awful_. And his head was the worst… it was all bloody, and so were his arms, and he was going on in this awful gibberish." Cho took a sip of her drink, relishing in the tale. "I think he was retarded, you know? So Hinata comes back, and I ask her what it's all about, and she says that she thought a man was to be exiled that day for being a stain on the Hyuuga reputation. That's the most I know about it, though. She got very pale when she said it. 'N fact, she was pale when she came out the door! Must've been a bad phone call."

"When was this?" Sakura asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.

"Hmm… about a week ago, I think. The weather was a bit warmer."

A week ago was a day before Sakura had been confronted with Neji's odd request. _Strange_, she thought. "And she only said it was because he was a stain on the reputation? What does that mean?"

"Well, I think it was because he was so mentally messed up. If there's anything the Hyuuga can't stand, it's a weak link."

Hanabi interrupted their conversation. "You know," she said with a devilish smile, "I was in the room when Hinata came in for that phone call. It wasn't really a phone call."

Immediately, all the girls crowded around her like white on rice, and Hanabi smiled at the attention. "She had to go in to see Father, and he told her that before she got upset, he wanted to tell her that the man outside had cut himself in his presence and that she ought not to look at him for fear it'd upset her delicate composition." The girls muttered their agreement, that such a thing would cause every one of them to faint or go mad or worse. "Well, she said yes, and then asked what would happen to him-- and Father said that he would be kicked off the estate but not completely exiled because he was mentally retarded. Then she left the office and went back outside."

"Where is he now?" Hide asked, saving Sakura the trouble.

"I don't know, but probably somewhere close," Hanabi said. "There's rumors that some Branch House scum are secretly feeding him and taking care of him and hiding him on the estate… we're checking that out as we speak, and hopefully we'll finally get him off the property. If he's still there."

The women gasped and complimented the Hyuuga house, but Sakura had had just about enough. She put her empty glass down hard and said she had to go find Neji, which was greeted by twitters and small, knowing smiles, and then made to leave the circle; however, she was stopped by a tap on the shoulder. Tomoko Yoko smiled at her, her lipsticked mouth opening wide to display perfect teeth. "Sakura-san, you really must come to my luncheon tomorrow afternoon with the rest of us. I feel the need to get to know you!"

Sakura opened her mouth, all too willing to give a resounding 'no way', but smiled and nodded as sweetly as she knew how. "Of course, Yoko-san. I feel exactly the same way. I'll see you all tomorrow, then."

Their saccharine goodbyes trailed after her as she cut her way through the crowd, intent on finding Naruto and Sai and getting Neji to get her the hell out of the ballroom. It took a good deal of standing on tiptoe before she saw the crown of Neji's regal head above the rest, but she finally made it to him at the side of the ballroom, where he was talking with Sai about art and sipping champagne, his back to her. Sai saw her first and gave her a wave and a 'hey, ugly', as was his custom.

Neji turned and saw her, then nodded his head to acknowledge her presence. "Where have you been?"

"I've been talking to your brat of a cousin and her band of babbling Barbie dolls," she answered with supreme distaste, taking what was left of Sai's martini from his hand and downing it without a second thought.

"You may want to watch the alcohol intake, Hag," said Sai tonelessly, snatching his martini glass back with a glare and looking into its empty depths mournfully.

Neji looked like he was fighting to hold down a snicker. "You've obviously never met my cousin and her friends-- impressive use of alliteration, by the way-- or you'd understand the need for hard liquor."

"Whoa, was that sympathy from the Ice King?" Sakura said in faux-shock, grabbing at her heart. "Who knew he was capable of human emotion?"

"Ah, so we're back to that, are we?" Neji raised an eyebrow at her. "If you hate me that much, feel free to go back to the ladies."

"Hey, even you are better those people. Speaking of which, I have a 'luncheon' with them tomorrow, over at Yoko's house. What, exactly, is a luncheon?"

Sai chuckled as Neji sighed and cast his eyes to the heavens. "It's just a formal lunch."

"'Formal' meaning what?" Sakura asked. "More dresses?"

"No," said Sai unexpectedly, "but something dressier than jeans."

"I guess that's not too bad, then," said Sakura after a moment, trying to put a bright face on it. "I can manage being in a skirt for two hours or so."

"With Hanabi and the Socialites?" Neji said doubtfully, and Sakura gave him a look from the corners of her eyes.

"Here I am trying to look at the glass half-full, and you're being pessimistic. You know, I'm beginning to wonder how I ever fell in love with you."

Sai smirked. "Why her, anyway?" he asked Neji, ignoring Sakura's huff of indignation.

Neji appeared to contemplate this, and Sakura grinned; he would say because her writing was good, because he needed an attractive woman, or because Tsunade highly recommended her.

"I really didn't have a choice."

Neji smirked as Sakura hit him on the shoulder and started a tirade against his arrogance, but he had intentionally said it for the purpose of irritating her. He found it funny when she was angry… and that was probably because he had been brought up around shy, demure women his whole life. Haruno Sakura was a refreshing change. A breath of fresh air. _Or a splash of cold water_, he amended wryly as she finished her tirade and trailed off into indignant muttering before Sai said something that made her give a reluctant laugh. "Hey, Neji," she said suddenly, turning to him, "do you mind taking me home? I'm a little tired of all this."

"Sure," he said, a bit surprised. "I'm ready to go, myself. Do you want a ride, Sai-san?"

"No, I'm fine," the artist answered. "You enjoy yourselves."

Sakura gave Sai a goodbye hug, and she and Neji made their way across the room, saying their goodbyes and returning compliments as they went. "We certainly caught everyone's attention today," Sakura said happily, waving at Tsunade as they left the ballroom and went to the coat closet.

Neji groaned as an attendant grabbed their coats for them. "Don't remind me. We made fools of ourselves, thanks to you."

"Hey, don't pretend you didn't have fun," Sakura teased as the attendant helped her into her coat. "I saw that smile."

Neji had to fight down another one as he took his own overcoat from the attendant and tipped him. "I thought you said I didn't have any emotions?"

Sakura sighed. "Well, the rest of us enjoyed it, anyway." The two walked to the valet, who got Neji's car for them, and Neji pressed a couple bills into his hand as Sakura got in. "I never really realized how snobby people can be," she said as he turned the ignition. He looked at her; her face was turned towards the window, towards the golden light that spilled from the windows of the building. "Does it come with being brought up rich, then?"

Yes, a splash of cold water seemed more fitting.

Sakura turned to him and grinned at his thoughtful face. "You don't need to look so dire, Neji. I did a little gossiping while I was with the Socialites."

"Oh? Now that you know, then, tell me this: does blue go with your eyes after all?"

Sai laughed out loud at this, and Sakura rolled her eyes. "No, they were interested in more sketchy subjects than that."

"How sketchy?"

"About as sketchy as Watanabe Cho seeing a bloody man carried from your uncle's offices and then Hanabi overhearing a conversation between Hinata and Hiashi in which she found out that the man was not, in fact, exiled, merely kicked off the premises. And that some of the Branch House may be hiding him and helping him at this very moment."

Neji stared at her for a moment before forcing his eyes back to the road. He whistled lowly. "You're good at investigative journalism, Haruno, I'll give you that."

"Thanks." Sakura frowned after a moment. "Did you know that this man was being helped by Branch House members?"

"I suspected that we were helping someone out-- I overheard cousins talking of smuggling food from the Main House kitchens twice-- but I never suspected it would be one of our own." He looked a bit troubled. "Apparently they don't trust me anymore."

"Anymore?"

Neji sighed. "I've become Branch House Leader only by appointment by Hiashi. This probably leads them to believe that I'm his man, that I would tell him about any infraction of the rules. They don't believe that I took the post for a chance to get at Hiashi. I'm not sure I would, either."

"Wait, you took the post of Branch House Leader to get back at Hiashi?" Sakura looked at him almost accusingly. "I thought your revenge was this article."

"I have a lot of plans in case one doesn't work out," he said coolly, and his tone caused a chill to run up her spine.

There was silence in the car for a couple moments before Sakura spoke the worry that was nagging at her brain. "Neji, if I'm assisting in a homicide here--"

"You're not."

She glanced at him with a look that clearly said: _I don't believe you._

Neji breathed out through his nose and put one hand on the steering wheel, running the other through his abundant hair. "I'll be honest and say that I did seriously consider it."

Sakura's eyes widened and her head snapped towards him. "Stop the car."

Neji didn't look away from the windshield.

"Neji, stop the car!" she shouted, her fear mounting without any real reason.

"No."

"Stop the car, Neji, NOW!"

At once, he _did_ stop; she was almost thrown against the windshield. Sakura turned her body and fumbled with the door handle, but the car was locked; she tried unlocking her door, but Neji only pressed the button again. She was stuck. She turned towards him again, her face angry. "Let me out of here. Let me out of here!"

"You need to--"

"You just told me you considered murdering your uncle, Neji!" she shouted. "I don't _need_ to do anything!"

"You need to hear me out!"

Sakura looked vastly unsure, but she shut up and turned towards him. "Okay. So you're going to convince me now that you're not a homicidal psychopath? Because that would be nice. I don't usually write articles for people like that."

Against his will, a smile tugged at Neji's lips. "Look, Haruno… you went into this article without thinking. Don't look at me like that-- I'm just saying, you did. You didn't think to question my motives that deeply, you didn't ask me why I wanted to bring down a family member. You probably should have, because it's harder to tell you this now than it would have been if you'd asked me then."

"I'm sorry?"

Neji glared at her. "I'm trying to explain."

"Sorry," she said, seriously this time.

"After my father died, I went through a tough time. That was when I considered murdering Hiashi-sama… I was pretty messed up physically and mentally. I almost did kill Hinata." Sakura gasped, and Neji rushed on. "I know. I got caught with a knife in my hands, and it took me a long time to get into everyone's good graces again. But over that time, I noticed that things were happening… people were being taken away, people from the Branch House, supposedly exiled on some excuse of being a stain on the noble Hyuuga reputation or something. I became the official Branch House Leader, and I started getting bolder. When Hiashi was away on business, I went into his office and searched his files… not for any particular thing, just for something that could free the Branch House. And I found a list."

"A list of what?"

Neji was silent for a long, long time, and Sakura feared that he wouldn't answer at all.

"It was a list of names," he said finally, and with great difficulty. "On that list were every person who had been 'exiled' over the past years… hundreds of them, hundreds of Branch House members. And on the list was--"

"--your father," Sakura finished for him in a whisper.

Neji nodded. "I…" He put a fist to his mouth before breathing out and looking away from her. "I think Hiashi killed my father, and that he's killing these supposedly 'exiled' Branch members. Why? I don't know. It's a suspicion, but I know he's ruthless enough."

Sakura frowned at him. "I'm really sorry, Neji, I didn't know…"

"I know."

Neji started up the car again and pulled out of the alley he had parked in for their conversation; the drive was uncomfortably silent, the kind of silence that stretches between people like elastic and stops only at the breaking point.

As Neji parked in front of her house, Sakura started. "Neji."

"Hm?"

"There's one person who hasn't been exiled, remember?" Sakura looked at him; it was funny, he thought, that everyone said Hyuuga eyes bore into people, because Sakura's green ones seemed to stare right through him. "And supposedly some Branch members are hiding him. You've got to gain their trust and find out where he is so we can see him."

We? "So you're still with me, then."

Sakura smiled at him, and it was a sad sort of smile, as if she knew what she was getting herself into and wished she wasn't so stupid for doing it. "I don't think I'm ready to break up with you just yet, Neji. You get more interesting by the day."

---

Author's Note: Well, this was a rather turbulent chapter, wasn't it? I really liked it, though, I have to say that this is one of my favorites in my fanfictions. I hope all of you liked it, too… we have some more NejiSaku interaction, and I'll give you a hint: something more romantic could be coming up in the next chapter. Sorry for the long wait for this one, by the way…

Au revoir, and again, reviews are appreciated immensely.


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